Lives Will Change
by nightfalcon222
Summary: Kagome thinks her life is over when she has to move to Tokyo. But when strange and fascinating events unfold, and as she meets new friends and one inuhanyou who she'd love to stomp into the ground, things change. For the better? InuKag RinSess SanMir
1. Nothing Could Be Worse

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN INUYASHA! There, I said it, now don't sue me!

CHAPTER ONE: NOTHING COULD BE WORSE

Nothing could be worse.

I flicked my eyes half-heartedly around my room. It had always been small and cramped, not that I minded. But for some reason, with all the furniture removed and all my belongings boarded up into cardboard boxes, it looked even smaller.

The paint on the walls was chipped, the carpet—rolled up against one wall now—was stained. And to make matters worse, we hadn't had air conditioning for a while either. I'm pretty sure that for most people, summer + Okinawa, Japan + ZERO AIR CONDITIONING does not equal any level of comfort.

I sighed. It was right now that I was beginning to realize just how wonderful sweating in a tiny apartment could be.

I have lived in Okinawa for my entire life, and in my opinion it is the most beautiful place in the world (although that might be because it is one of the only places I have ever seen). It's pretty quiet. I shared an apartment with my mother, my ten year old brother Sota, my grandfather, and my family's cat Buyo, who was currently sitting on my lap.

I had spent the last half hour leaning against the wall, stroking Buyo, probably glassy-eyed and looking really defeated. Or maybe sulky. I feel like a mixture of both. My natural sixteen-year-old rebellious instincts had encouraged me to try to give my mom and my grandpa the silent treatment, but I knew that was immature and mean. I tried it for a while after I learned what was happening, but I didn't have the heart to continue.

For those poor, mildly mentally challenged people who haven't yet figured out _what was happening_, even after the mention of "furniture removed" and "belongings boarded up into cardboard boxes," I guess I may as well tell you (there's no point in shunning you, too, although it _is _tempting): we're moving. Yes, as in leaving. Leaving Okinawa. For good.

I hate this. I hate leaving. Okinawa has always been pretty quiet and life might seem dull to someone used to the city, but the beaches are stunning. I've always loved to lie out in the sun, especially when I've got my adopted sister Rin—who is also sixteen years old—for company. Although Rin is a little shy, she is the _nicest, _most innocent, open-minded person I've ever met. It's impossible to feel uncomfortable or unwanted in her presence. She's amazing.

I'm going to miss this place so much. I'm going to miss the beaches, the rice-ball shop down the street, the old man who hates our family cause Buyo keeps sneaking into his yard and ruining his garden… and I won't even go into how much I'm going to miss my best friends (other than Rin, that is), Ayumi and Eri.

All because my mom lost her job again.

We've been having money problems since my dad died. It happened a few years ago—actually, exactly three years and forty-nine days ago. Like my grandfather, my father was a shrine keeper. Legend has it that spiritual powers are bestowed upon and passed down through certain families in Japan. The Higurashi family (my family), according to my grandfather, is such a family. My grandfather can be so funny sometimes; he's sure that he has special powers, but I can tell you he doesn't have any. I remember that my father would always wink at me when my grandfather went into one of his spiels. It used to make me giggle, that even he couldn't really take his work seriously.

My mother became involved in shrine keeping after she married my father. Sota and I have had some training in the practice as well. We've been moving from place to place, being the keepers of the shrine, but continuously we've run out of money. I've had to take part-time jobs. I'm just glad Sota hasn't had to yet; ten years old is much too young to forfeit your childhood.

Although Rin and I mock my grandfather for his odd beliefs, the idea of spiritual powers genuinely does interest me. Actually, it is known that spiritual power does exist—except it's very rare.

And very, very dangerous.

Shrine keepers have one main duty: to protect the shrine and the town from demons. It was originally thought that all demons are evil by nature—however over the years, most people in Japan have grown accustomed to them. I've never actually met a demon. They aren't as populace as humans, and they reside more in the big cities or separate demon reserves—not in small cities or towns like my family has lived in. And no human would ever dare to live in a demon reserve; just as some humans are prejudiced against demons, some demons are also prejudiced against humans. And in a fight between an unarmed human and an unarmed demon, the demon will always win.

_Unless, of course, you have spiritual power, _I thought, amused as I reminisced at my grandfather's latest speech.

Sometimes I wondered if I possessed spiritual power.

Once in a while, I could swear I could feel it, or at least feel _something_, some hidden power within my veins. My grandfather says that spiritual power is a blessing—and that its purpose is to defend yourself against demons. He has a certain fear of demons. He doesn't trust them; maybe he had a run-in with one a while back, I don't know. But either way, that's probably why he's tried to keep us away from places with demons until now.

Cause now, we're moving to Tokyo.

Yes, busy and lively and _filthy rich _Tokyo, the center of Japan, the big city, famous for its integration of humans and demons. My grandfather had been totally against the idea at first, but as the price of living here began to become too much, we knew we had to grope at any offer made to us.

It came from someone named Kaede. None of us have ever met her, but apparently she's an old woman in Tokyo who's looking for shrine keepers. My mother and my grandfather have spent ages talking with her over the phone, and finally they made a deal. Kaede is not only giving us the job of being the shrine keepers, but there's also the house connected to it—which is insanely cheap.

It's because of her "miracle offer" that we're moving. I used to wonder if I could hate someone I've never even met. Now I know I'm fully capable.

I sighed. I knew it was petty. But when I thought about leaving my Okinawa, all I wanted to do was curl up and cry.

"Hey Kagome," Rin said, giving me a kind of sad smile. She sat down beside me.

"Hey," I said dully, glancing up at her.

"Come on, cheer up a little," Rin pleaded. "It makes me upset to see you like this."

"Well what do you _want _me to be like, then?" I asked sarcastically. "_Happy?_"

Rin looked down. "Sorry," she said. "I just wish you weren't so upset. I mean, I'm upset too, I love this place. I love everything about it. But we shouldn't dwell on it, you know?"

Rin has a kind of high-pitched, sweet voice. I looked up as she spoke.

"I know, I'm sorry," I said sincerely. I grinned wryly. "I mean, when you think about it, shouldn't we be _happy? _Doesn't _everyone _want to live in Tokyo?"

Rin laughed. "It's so weird," she said cheerfully. "We're moving from this _cheap _place because we have money problems… to _Tokyo_."

I snorted. My family has serious issues.

"But hey, look on the bright side," Rin said. She leaned a little closer and said almost in a whisper, "We might get to meet…"

"What?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, blushing and looking away.

"Oh come on, tell me!"

"Well, I was thinking… I've never met one before and I… I just… I've always wanted to meet a demon."

I raised my eyebrows, wondering if Rin had gone completely crazy. I mean, sure _I've _always secretly wanted to meet a demon, but _Rin? _Child of flowers and singing with a freaking _halo _blinding everyone who looks at her cute little black-haired head?

"Um, Rin…" I said slowly, coughing. "Weren't your parents killed by demons?"

Rin nodded. "That was a while ago," she said. "And besides. I don't think all demons are bad. They're like people—there are bad ones and good ones. I want to meet a good one."

I grinned at this, and hugged my sister.

"Kagome! Is Buyo in there!" I heard my brother shout from behind the door.

"Oh, yeah, sorry." Rin and I stood up, the fat, absolutely spoiled ginger cat lying lazily in my arms. Buyo is probably the only cat in the world who wants an _escort _to _carry _him wherever he goes.

If I were to raise children, they would be the brattiest, most spoiled, unbearable beings on the face of the Earth.

I sighed. "I've done myself in! I'm gonna be a slave to this cat for the rest of my life!"

Rin grinned. "Have fun."

"Rin!"

Sota opened the door, wearing soccer shorts and a blue t-shirt.

"You guys are so slow," he moaned.

"Sota, really, don't irritate me today I'm short-tempered and crazy," I said shortly.

"But you're always—"

"Sota," Rin chided.

"Well Mom says we have to come downstairs, and bring the boxes," Sota said. He glanced into our room. "Um…" he called, "Mom, there are a _lot _of boxes up here!"

My mother—slender like me, but her wavy raven-colored hair is short—appeared, emerging from another door. She glanced into my room and groaned. "What have you two been doing in there this whole time?"

I shrugged. "Obviously not bringing boxes downstairs."

Rin and I giggled.

My mother sighed. "Just start now, okay? We're supposed to leave here in fifteen minutes. You girls are ready to go otherwise?"

"Mm-hmm," we said, and returned to our room to grab our boxes.

When we were back outside, loading the boxes into the cars and the moving van, we began chatting again.

"So what do you think Tokyo will be like?" Rin asked, sounding a little excited.

"It's almost like you _want _to leave," I groaned. "Sometimes your optimism is unbearable!"

"That's just cause it makes you feel bad about yourself," Rin teased. I rolled my eyes, grinning a little.

"So what makes you think you'll like Tokyo? The cute guys?" I asked, a little sarcastic.

Rin grinned. "Maybe. More I guess… well, I'm still excited about meeting the demons, and seeing a whole different society. Tokyo must be amazing. And it's really, really rich too—"

"Which means it'll be filled with spoiled, rich idiots and overpriced clothes," I pointed out.

"Oh don't be so down," Rin said. "Give it a chance. You might like it. And I know you're interested in the demons, too."

"We'd better stop talking about demons like this when we get to Tokyo," I noted. "It probably sounds like we think they're zoo freaks or something."

"I think you'd better stop talking about demons like that _now_," an old voice called as a short man walked up to us.

We put our boxes in the car. "Oh, hey, Grandpa, what's up?" I asked innocently.

"You can't trust demons, and now that we're moving to _Tokyo_," he bit back a grimace, "It's even more important that you know that." He groaned. "This is awful."

"Easy solution: let's not move?" I suggested half-heartedly.

He smiled wryly. "Okay, Kagome, we all know you don't want to leave, you don't have to advertise it anymore."

"Come on, let's go get the carpet," Rin said, tugging on my wrist.

"I've got a carpet to get, see ya Grandpa!" I called as I was dragged away.

The carpet was a lot heavier than we had expected.

"Okay, this is a problem," I said flatly as we tried and miserably failed to lift the carpet.

"Who would've thought carpets could be so heavy?" Rin muttered.

"It's an obese carpet!" I moaned. Rain grinned.

"Hey Kagome! Hi Rin!"

Rin and I exchanged a glance. I knew that voice. It was the voice of maybe one of the only people I would be _relieved _to see the last of.

"Hi Hojo!" Rin said cheerfully. Man, is she good at being nice.

"Hey," I said casually, smiling at him like I always do.

"Want a hand?" he asked.

"No, we've got—" I started to say, but he was already at the middle of the carpet.

"You guys grab each end," he instructed. "We'll lift it together. On three, ready? One…"

I rolled my eyes. It was like I was four or something. Hojo was always so extra-helpful, and he didn't have a clue of how to distinguish between _helping _and _being really annoying. _

I lifted on one, and to Rin's and Hojo's surprise, lifted my end of the carpet right up to my waist. Rin yelped, struggling to lift her end.

"Nice, Kagome," Hojo said appreciatively.

I grinned. "Wow. A few minutes ago I couldn't do that, I swear."

"It's all about believing," Hojo said sincerely.

I bit back a laugh at the cliché.

Halfway down the stairs, the carpet began to grow heavier. I managed to make it to the moving van before collapsing, just as weak as I had been when I'd first tried to pick up the carpet.

"Ow!" Rin and I squealed, and then looked at each other, and Hojo, on the ground with the carpet on top of us, and laughed.

Hojo laughed too. He rolled the carpet away and stood up, offering a hand to help me up. Sighing internally, I accepted it. There was no reason to be rude. After all, I would be out of here in ten minutes anyway.

"So what brought you over here?" I asked, for conversation's sake.

"I just wanted to help," he said, shrugging. "Plus I wanted to say good bye. My family and I are leaving to go to the beach in about five minutes, I don't have much time."

"Oh."

"So, we'll keep in touch, right?" Hojo said hopefully.

"Yeah, of course," I said, cringing, wishing there had been a way for me to say that without making it a promise.

Hojo nodded. "I'm gonna miss you so much!" He suddenly hugged me. I hugged him back awkwardly.

"I'll miss you too," I said. "I'm gonna miss everyone. I hate leaving this place."

Rin nodded. "Me too. I love it here. I'm just glad that…" she trailed off, looking away before smiling again. "Hey, it's Ayumi and Eri!"

Sure enough, Ayumi and Eri were running across the street screaming like the silly, excitable girls they were. They ran up to me and Rin and crushed us in a tight group hug.

"Ah!" I gasped. "We're moving, not dying! I'm not ready to suffocate!"

Ayumi grinned, relaxing. Eri, on the other hand, hugged us harder.

"And so the world became one Rin Suzuki Higurashi smaller…" Rin choked out.

They released us, and we all grinned and then, of course, screamed and hugged each other again.

"I'm gonna miss you so much!" we all yelled at the same time.

"Of course, we'll email, and call, and all that stuff," Ayumi assured us.

I nodded. "Every day."

Eri grinned. "I can't believe you're going to Tokyo! Lifestyle of the rich and famous, coming your way!"

"Hardly," I said.

"Yeah, we have to help out with the shrine and stuff," Rin added.

"That must be interesting, though," Ayumi said, eyes bright. "I mean, imagine the kinds of things you'll learn from being a shrine keeper."

"And the kind of things you'll get from _Tokyo_," Eri said enviously. "I know it sucks you're leaving and all, but I think you're really, really lucky."

"Well, I'd better be going," Hojo said cheerfully.

Ayumi and Eri, noticing for the first time that Hojo was there, nearly yelped. They blushed and turned, giggling. "No, you don't have to go! Really! Sorry, we barely noticed you!"

Rin and I bit our lips to keep from laughing. Almost every girl in our school is crushing on Hojo. I really don't understand what they see in him. _They _don't understand what I_ don't_ see in him. It took Ayumi and Eri a long time to wrap their minds around the fact that when Hojo asked me out over the summer, I turned him down.

"No, I've got to go," Hojo said, smiling politely. "I'm sorry, I'd like to stay, but my family is leaving very soon. I'll see you guys later. And Kagome, Rin… I guess this is goodbye."

He hugged us again, much to the amusement and envy of Ayumi and Eri. Hojo waved, and left.

"Well, now that you're gone, I guess Hojo will have to give someone else a chance now, huh?" Eri said thoughtfully.

"Don't talk like that," Ayumi chided. "It's like you _want _Kagome to leave."

"What? No! Of course not!"

I laughed. "I don't know, you sounded pretty happy."

"Of course I—I just—oh come on you know what I mean. It's amazing Hojo hasn't given up on you." She scrutinized me. "He must really like you."

"Well, he'll have to give up on me now," I said cheerfully. "So it all works out, right?"

"Yeah. And besides… I bet there are lots of cute guys in Tokyo," Ayumi said with a giggle.

Eri's eyes lit up. "The second you get to school, we want _details_, girl!"

"Absolutely," Ayumi enthused.

I mock groaned. "Okay, okay. I'll send you pictures."

They squealed.

Ayumi was serious. "But on to serious topics… make sure you're careful. Tokyo's the big city. Cities aren't as safe as places like this, you know?" she and Eri exchanged a worried glance.

"Not to mention that there are _demons _in Tokyo," Eri added darkly.

Eri is one of those people who just doesn't like demons. I think it's just how she was raised.

I rolled my eyes. "Isn't a human guy more likely to be a perv toward a human girl than a _demon _would be?"

"You'd think so. You never know," Eri said. She brightened up. "You just need to make sure you find yourself a strong boyfriend to protect you!"

"I don't need a guy to protect me," I said dismissively.

Eri frowned. "You can't not be interested in guys."

"Even if she isn't, that's fine," Ayumi said. "Nothing wrong with being independent."

"You know what would be cool?" Rin asked dreamily. "Falling in love."

"Just imagine. You might meet your soul mate in Tokyo," I told her, giving her a grin.

"You both might," Ayumi said admiringly.

"Oh I'm so jealous!" Eri groaned.

"We'll keep you updated, I promise," I assured her.

"You'd better," Eri threatened. From the look on her face, it looked like she meant business.

"Don't worry, we'll tell you about everything that's going on. Every day," Rin promised. "I'll email you and call you and everything—except that would use up minutes, so I'll probably just email usually."

Ayumi nodded with a grin. "Good idea. Don't worry, we'll keep you posted too!"

"Rin, Kagome, time to go!" our mother called from the car.

We hugged tightly again, and then stepped back.

"Well… this is goodbye," Eri said, seeming faintly surprised.

"Yeah," Rin said meekly. She sighed. "I wish we didn't have to leave."

"Me too," Ayumi moaned. "It's so much worse now that you're actually _going_."

"Kagome! Rin!"

"We've gotta go, Mom might run us over with the car," I said, grinning.

"I don't look good flattened on the asphalt," Rin piped up, to our amusement.

We ran to the car, climbing in the backseat. Ayumi and Eri waved as we pulled out of the driveway.

"Call us!"

"Email!"

"We want to know what's going on!"

"Tokyo drama, here you come!"

"Tell us EVERYTHING!"

"We will!" we shouted out the window. "Good bye!"

"BYE!!" They screeched, jumping up and down and waving frantically.

We turned a street, and our old apartment, along with Ayumi and Eri, were gone.

Tokyo drama, here we come.


	2. Why Demons Are Bad

Disclaimer: Sniff… I don't own Inuyasha… my life is meaningless. Unless you read my story!

CHAPTER TWO: WHY DEMONS ARE BAD

"How much longer?" I groaned.

Rin and I had run out of things to talk about, and were now listening to music—although it was hard to hear because Sota had his songs playing in the car speakers.

"It's about five more hours, then we stop at a motel," my mom informed us.

"What?!"

"I'm sorry, guys. I really hate long car rides too."

"I feel nauseous," Rin moaned.

"Sota, could you pass Rin a bag?"

Sota and I looked at Rin in panic.

"No, I don't need it," she murmured, leaning back and closing her eyes.

"Sorry, Rin," I said quickly. "I don't mean to be a jerk."

Rin grinned weakly, eyes still closed. "So then it comes naturally?"

Sota, my mother, my grandfather and I laughed. Buyo looked up at us, wondering why we were so stupid.

After two hours, we stopped at a gas station.

"Damned gas stations," my grandpa grumbled as he got out to fill up our car with gasoline. "These places are poisonous, I swear, it'll give you all fume poisoning when you get older!"

Me and Rin exchanged a glance, amused at hearing our mom included in the people who have yet to get older.

"I'm hungry," Sota complained.

"There's a store across the street, me and Kagome could go buy something," Rin offered.

"That's very nice of you," Mom said, smiling at us. "Sota, will you tell them what you want?"

Sota grinned. "Really? Thanks, guys!"

"No problem," we replied. Anything to get out of this cramped car.

"I'll have Gatorade… and Snickers… and Snowballs!" He suggested.

"I LOVE snowballs!" Rin sighed.

"Pick one or the other, Snowballs or Snickers," our mom told Sota.

"Um… Snowballs, I guess. Do I have to?"

She didn't bother answering that question.

Rin and I jumped out of the car, racing a bit recklessly across the street and into the store.

It was a small store, with shelves of snacks and magazines, as well as a sushi bar. There were Bento lunches and dinners, and a Pocky stand.

"Pocky!" I squealed.

"The car ride is almost worth it, just for the Snowballs," Rin commented, picking out the pink, puffy balls of fat and sugar and coconut for her and Sota; our grandfather, unfortunately, is one of those people who is super-informed about nutrition, and as he almost acts like a surrogate parent we almost never get to have processed junk like this.

"Pocky's still better," I teased. I took a box of strawberry Pocky for myself and my mom to split—she likes Pocky too, I know.

"What should we get for Grandpa?" Rin asked.

"Maybe one of those old people magazines," I suggested, browsing the shelves. "Oh, look, here's some for us…"

Rin rushed over. "Does it have the latest on…?"

"Yes it does!"

"Oh my gosh!"

We both squealed together, jumping up and down until we noticed people were staring, when we stopped.

I glanced at the television hanging on the wall. It was a newscast, depicting a shrine, which was what got me interested.

_"It has been just hours since last night's attempted robbery at the Tokyo Jewel Shrine, and local police have almost no leads on the perpetrators…"_

"Hey isn't that the shrine we're going to?" Rin asked in surprise, a little worried.

I frowned. "Definitely seems like it… did Mom tell us what it was called?"

_"And now we introduce Kaede-sama, temporary caretaker of Jewel Shrine…"_

We exchanged a glance.

An old woman came onscreen.

_"As far as we can tell, we believe that the target of the robbery was the Orb of Night."_

_ "Kaede-sama, do you have any comments?" _a reporter inquired.

Kaede smirked a bit—a friendly, wry smirk that made me like her a little more—but her answer was serious. _"It is a very good thing that the Orb's sacred barrier was in place; if it for some reason had faltered, the Orb would have undoubtedly been stolen."_

I frowned. I was sure I had heard of the Orb of Night.

"Does that sound familiar to you?" I asked Rin.

She shook her head. "No. Weird that it's our shrine."

I nodded. We resumed watching.

_"Kaede-sama, if I am correct, there is a new family coming soon to take over the duty of shrine keepers," _one of the people onscreen said.

Kaede nodded. _"Aye, that is true."_

_ "But then will the shrine fall out of your hands?" _someone asked nervously.

"What, they don't trust us?" I joked.

"We'll show them," Rin said immediately, grinning.

_"I am growing old," _Kaede said sadly. _"And the replacement is inevitable. But I believe I have found a family of very reliable people." _She looked at the camera and smiled knowingly.

"It's like she can see is," Rin whispered.

"You don't have to whisper, she can't hear you," I reminded her.

"Oh. Right," she said awkwardly.

We watched the report for another minute, until Rin said, "We should probably hurry up, or Grandpa will think we've been attacked by demons."

"It's always the demons he's first to blame," I said, sighing. I grinned. "Just imagine: Grandpa in Tokyo."

"Just imagine _us _in Tokyo," Rin breathed. I looked at her, confirming that there _was _some measure of excitement in her voice.

"What's with the happiness?" I asked.

"I'm not happy. I just… I'm interested," she admitted.

"Okay. Why?"

"Probably for the same reasons I was interested this morning," she pointed out, grinning. Then, "We should probably start buying this stuff."

I nodded. "Yeah. Of course, we could always just run off with it. It'd be quicker."

Rin rolled her eyes at me.

We moved to the line. There was only one person in front of us, who was currently having some kind of argument with the cashier.

"I told you, I already paid for that, it's not my fault if the fucking machine doesn't know it."

Rin and I exchanged a glance at the crude language. We would curse, yes, but we didn't say things like that.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't let you take that unless you pay for it," the cashier replied, visibly nervous but still firm.

The man bent low. "And you think I couldn't _make _you let me take it?" he threatened.

The cashier rolled his eyes. "What are the benefits of killing me, sir? Weigh the pros and the cons. Of course, for one of your kind, the bloodlust might be enough to make up for the jail time…"

It was clear that this jab didn't faze the man at all. He said smoothly, "Nobody in this store would have time to call the police."

_That _got to the cashier, and a cold sweat broke out across his forehead. Me and Rin stared at each other, and then at the cashier, thinking maybe we should begin to back away slowly… but how could we leave the cashier like this?

The cashier noticed us for the first time, and his eyes widened as he attempted to send us a message without speaking, trying and failing to make this effort escape the notice of the scary guy in front of us.

Said scary guy immediately turned around, and upon finding two girls staring at him in utter terror, grinned and grabbed the nearest of us—who happened to be me—by the arm.

I screamed.

"Kagome!" Rin yelped. She pulled me by the arm, trying to get me away, but I was being held against the man fast. I yelled again.

"Let go of me you bastard!" I screeched, wishing I could sink my teeth into the guy's flesh, feeling the adrenaline rush through my body, making my heart pound.

The man didn't even look at me. He stared at the cashier and hissed, "Look, idiot. I'm gonna walk out of here. If you try to stop me, the bitch dies. Got it?"

My eyes widened in terror. Rin stared at me, and then began to back to the door.

I panicked. _Don't leave me! Wait, no—do something! Yeah! Call the police! That one!_

Rin got my message right before the guy got her arm. We squealed as he twisted both our arms painfully.

"Don't either of you fucking move, or _everyone _in this shitty store will regret it," he threatened.

By now everyone in the store had noticed the confrontation. I stared at them in hope, thinking they would pull out a cell phone and do the logical thing—call 911. But they didn't. Instead of coming to our rescue, the people just backed against the walls and collected their families, trying not to watch. It was clear from the way they shook and cowered that they were utterly terrified.

This guy didn't even have a gun.

Then it hit me.

_Demon._

I looked up at him in complete paralysis. It was impossible to tell what kind of demon he was, and I only had a very basic knowledge of the various types. There were way too many to list, so mainly they were categorized into two main groups—the ones capable of speech and the ones not capable of speech. Within those two groups were two subgroups called _Formers _and _Takers. _"Formers" grow into their adult shape, like humans. "Takers" steal others' appearances. Some Formers can steal appearances too, but they have their own real appearance. There are many other subgroups below these, relying on appearance and ability to separate into species.

But anyone who is a shrine keeper knows the most basic rule: the most dangerous demons are the ones which look like humans.

Like this guy.

Crap.

Holding both me and Rin now, the guy began to move toward the door.

_Our family! Will they see us? No, they're across the street, they might not. _Someone _has got to see us. But by the way all these guys reacted, doesn't seem like anybody'll be much help._

I looked to Rin. She had tears streaming down her face. I wanted to cry too, but I was too shocked at what was happening to us. The world spun around me and began to blur.

It kept blurring.

After several seconds it became a solid navy blue, and I was whipping my head around in utter astonishment, because I had gone blind.

"Rin! Rin, can you see me? Rin, please say you can see me! Are you there? Rin! _RIN!_"

"Shut up, kid," the guy said.

Instead I screamed.

My scream sliced the air, so loud I felt sure it could shatter glass. Everyone on the street turned to stare at us and gasp at something. But by the time the scream had faded, I was too energized to actually take note of the fact that my vision had come back.

I turned around to glare at the guy, who, I noticed, possessed a very faint blue tinge around him.

"Shut up, bastard," I hissed through my teeth, shocking myself at my courage.

Before the guy could say anything more, I whipped my free hand up and pressed it to his chest. Power surged through it, all my angst and anger at being forced to move to Tokyo, all my fear and hatred of this rude criminal demon building at the palm to explode in a rapidly spinning sphere of energy.

Before he or I knew what was happening, the guy had flown ten feet through the air and crashed against the wall of a building.

Across the street, Mrs. Higurashi, Sota, and Sota's grandfather heard the crash and jumped out of the car.

I stared at the guy, lying unconscious on the ground. Rin and I stared at each other in utter astonishment.

And then we began to cry.

Clutching on to each other's shoulders for support, we sobbed and shook as everyone on the street and in the store slowly approached us. Suddenly I realized that they were _all staring at me._

For some absurd reason, I blushed.

My family was the first to break the invisible barrier between us and the crowd.

"What happened?" my mother demanded. "Are you okay? Who is that guy?"

"Are you their mother?" the cashier asked, walking hesitantly up to us.

My mom nodded, looking to him for answers.

"These girls saved all of us," he said, looking at us with both admiration and skepticism. "Don't know how the hell they did it, but the proof is lying dead on the ground."

"Actually, it was just Kagome," Rin murmured.

"No, Rin helped too," I said firmly. I turned to her. "I wouldn't have been able to do that if I didn't have you by my side."

_How _I did 'that' is still the question.

Rin smiled at me.

Our family gawked.

"Kagome… did _you _send this demon into that wall?" my grandfather finally asked.

I blushed a little deeper, uncomfortable with the attention. "I… think so. I'm still not really sure."

Rin frowned at him. "That was a demon?"

That blue tinge. Was that what that had shown? That the guy was a demon?

I looked around me. There was no one else here whose body shone that slight blue. But then again, demons were very rare in areas like this.

I looked to the guy again, noticing that now he, too, did not possess that blue aura.

_Hmm… great. Now I'm hallucinating, _I thought.

_Give yourself a break! You just got attacked by a demon, why wouldn't you hallucinate? _My inner voice argued.

_Cause I'm not totally crazy!_

_ Keep deluding yourself._

I nodded. "Yeah." I turned to my grandfather. "How did you know what he was?"

He scoffed. "You think I wouldn't know a demon when I see one? Humph." He scrutinized me. "For that matter, how did _you _know?"

I looked at him for a moment, wondering if I should mention the blue aura.

"I don't know," I said. "I guess I just sensed it."

He smiled proudly, to my surprise. "I knew it! You must have spiritual powers; it's the only way you could have sensed the demon."

"Not only did she sense it," a person in the crowd said timidly, "She blew it into that wall."

"Did you kill it?" Rin whispered.

"Um… I don't think so," Sota whispered even quieter.

His hands shook as he stared, transfixed with terror, at the demon, who was slowly rising to his feet.

"You'll pay for that, bitch," he hissed, preparing to attack.

"Don't call me a bitch, idiot," I whispered through my teeth.

"Well? What're you waiting for?!" Sota yelped. "Go get him, sis!"

I stared at Sota, who looked up at me with complete trust and admiration and fear.

I turned back to the demon.

"J-just leave us alone," I said, my voice shaky. It took a step closer to us and everyone shrank back.

Suddenly the demon shifted.

Now it was a gigantic, fanged flying centipede as it raced toward us, its tail colliding with a building and leaving a large dent in the wall. The crowd screamed and began to race backwards.

"It's just a Taker, then! Demon, begone!" Grandpa screeched as he whipped out a backet of purification salt, took a handful of the dust, and threw it at the demon.

It had less effect than telling the demon to _please go away._

We began to run.

Suddenly I was struck with inspiration. Grabbing the rest of the purification salt, I felt that power rushing through my arm again. I whirled on the demon and hurled a handful of it at him—I smiled in triumph as it hit the creature square in the face.

The effect was instantaneous.

The creature dropped to the ground, writhing, shifting forms much too fast for any of us to catch its appearance. But before we could count to three, before anyone could scream, it disappeared with an odd crackling sound, leaving just a pile of black dust in its place.

My family and the crowd and I stood there, shocked into total immobility.

Which, if you had just a) destroyed or b)watch get destroyed a gigantic ferocious demon intent on brutally murdering you, is understandable.


	3. The Orb of Night

Disclaimer: … still don't own Inuyasha…

CHAPTER THREE: THE ORB OF NIGHT

Never in my life had I thought I would ever be glad to see the choked streets of Tokyo.

"Wow," Rin breathed.

"I hate moving, but I've gotta say this is cool," Sota said, face pressed against the car window.

"Sota, if you're going to damage your nose you should probably roll the window down," my mom joked.

Sota flushed, detaching his flattened nose from the window pane.

Sota and Rin stared out of the windows in fascination. Sota I can understand; like me, he's inquisitive by nature—though perhaps he's not as proned to be biased, which is why he is able to see the good in a place like this while I am not yet. But Rin? Yes, she's very inquisitive too, but I would have thought she'd be 100% on my side about Tokyo. There are only two explanations I can find for why Rin is being so lax about this whole moving thing. Number one: she's just that freaking amazing. That's why I love her. Number two is that she was bullied a little by some kids at school in Okinawa. Why was she bullied? I don't know. She wouldn't talk about it.

But whenever I saw it happen, I always made sure I stopped it then and there.

I would do the same here. Not that I thought it would happen.

_But there's an ass in every school, _I thought glumly. _You just can't avoid it._

"Hey, we stick together no matter what happens, 'kay?" I asked Rin, holding out my fist for a knuckle-pound.

Rin nodded enthusiastically. "Course. Forever." She knuckle-pounded back and then unexpectedly hugged me. I grinned, hugging her back. She leaned closer to whisper in my ear, "I'm really excited about this."

I pulled back to stare at her.

_Have you completely lost your mind? What little of it you had in the first place?_

But her eyes, as she looked into mine, were so earnest that I couldn't think less of her.

So I smiled. "I'm glad."

She squealed and hugged me again.

The sprawling, lively, human-and-demon-infested city of Tokyo, Japan loomed before us. It looked much too big and crowded for us to live in.

"It's so big," my mom said quietly.

"It's a city, what do you expect?" I asked sarcastically, staring dully out the window.

"Don't talk like that to your mother," my grandfather said sternly.

My mom smiled. "No, it's okay. I think it's better just to let her get everything out of her system."

I rolled my eyes. My mom is so nice, sometimes I can't stand it.

Tokyo was flashy. I'd give it that. But coming from me, a small-town girl whose only wish in the world was to get the heck out of here, that was not necessarily a compliment.

We drove through the main city, all the while staring up in wonder at the huge buildings, the flashing lights, the roaring cars, the obnoxious ads, the giant posters and billboards.

This was unfamiliar territory. And we were foreigners.

We kept driving for another forty minutes until the dense city began to thin out just a little. It was kind of a nice place. It was lively here, but not as choked and polluted as the rest of Tokyo. I realized we would be living on the very edge of the main city—as in, right next to it. You drive for five minutes, you're there.

This place was another world.

Rin had begun to become carsick again, and I tapped her on the shoulder when the car stopped. She picked her head up—her face was pale.

"I feel like crap," she moaned.

"You'll be okay, come on," I coaxed, opening the car door and getting out quickly—both for her sake and for mine, in case she decided that the nausea had made its way to her stomach.

Rin stumbled out of the car, and squinted up at the sun above us. It was early September, and the air was hot. We had two days before school—or as I like to call it, Hell—started.

That meant two days to shop, and two days to get our bearings, and two days to enjoy what little freedom remained to us.

A lot to do for two days.

"I feel kind of better now," Rin said. Her face was still a little pale but she did look better.

"Told you you would," I said easily. We were looking at the house now.

What surprised me most was that it was a house.

In all our other places, we'd lived in apartments or condos. But here—a house. A real live house, like normal people who weren't having money issues lived in.

Even bigger than the house was the shrine.

At first, I had mistook it for part of the house. But when the architectural style was so different, and when it was physically separated from the house and actually placed in our backyard, how could I not see the difference?

Where the house was modern, the shrine's style was from a different time. Where the house was plain, the shrine was graceful.

The shrine fascinated me.

My mother and grandfather exchanged a smug look when they saw my face. I quickly wiped the smile off my mouth.

"It doesn't mean anything," I muttered.

They just smirked.

By now we were beyond exhausted. We had driven not only all of yesterday, but through the night into today as well. Now it was one o'clock in the afternoon, and I'd scrounged maybe five hours of sleep.

I swayed on my feet. "I think I'm going to bed."

"Your bed isn't even here yet!" my mom objected worriedly.

"It's okay, I can sleep on the floor," I mumbled, already beginning to become incoherent.

_I'd better get to the floor fast before I fall asleep on my feet._

"How are you tired?" Sota squealed, jumping up at me.

"You'll understand when you're older," I said, smiling, knowing how much this comment would irritate him.

I wasn't disappointed.

Rin and I made our way inside and collapsed in the first room we came to. Turned out, she was just as tired as I was.

Probably not _quite _as tired; that would be impossible.

When my body decided to let me wake up, the sun was still shining brightly in the sky.

I blinked and propped myself up on one elbow. Rin, beside me, snored lightly.

"Rin."

She didn't reply.

"Hey, Rin wake up," I ordered groggily, shaking her by the elbow.

Rin just turned away from me, murmuring something in her sleep.

I sighed. Apparently Rin was in one of her _I will let nothing wake me up and if anything does I will personally ensure that the life of said thing is made miserable for the rest of its now short duration. _Yes, even Rin the angel-child has a dark side.

I sat up wearily, trying to stop the world's uneven rotation as it tipped and turned. Realizing that my side ached, I stood up and stretched it out, finding balance by one wall.

It was a pretty nice house, even without the furniture. The color scheme of the paint job was a delicate but playful combination of pastels. There were some cabinets and counters protruding from the walls, so that I was beginning to get an idea of which room would be the kitchen. I knew my mom would have a lot of fun designing the interior for this house. Not that we had any fancy furniture, but she didn't need extravagance to create a cozy house.

Stumbling out of the house, I saw that a large moving truck had just pulled up into our driveway. My mother, Sota, and my grandfather were nowhere to be seen.

Hoping they didn't see me, I slipped into the backyard and found my way to the shrine.

The first thing I did was just stare at it. Yes I know, it seems weird. But if you were me, wouldn't you be interested in the thing which you'd been entrusted to protect?

The shrine had two sections to it, both of which could be entered through a set of large double-doors. Large, fancy double-doors.

I stroked the carvings on the doors to the first half of the shrine. It was carved from a kind of darkly colored wood, with a smooth texture. I could almost feel years of experience and wisdom emanating from these richly veined wooden structures.

There was an inscription on the doors.

I squinted at it. The writing was ancient, that much was clear. I remembered, I had learned how to read this kind of writing….

"Stupid calligraphy," I muttered vehemently.

"Are you going to need help with that, Miss?" An amused voice asked sardonically.

I gasped, whirling around. The yard was empty.

My eyes narrowed. "H-who's there?"

When there was no response, I pressed my back against the door. Suddenly my senses were on alert; something didn't feel right. Very slightly, very _very _slightly, I could sense something… _someone. _

It was that same, odd presence I had felt when I had seen that blue tint on the demon. But there was no blue tint now, nor was there a person.

"Come out," I ordered, voice a little firmer.

Nothing.

"I know you're there!"

"That's fairly impressive; but do you know where?"

I gasped, spinning around and jumping backwards for I swore I had just felt a hand brushing my shoulder.

"Who-who are you?" I demanded, trying and failing to sound threatening.

"You're too pretty to be scary," the voice purred softly in my ear.

I screeched and ran inside the shrine.

I barely took note of my surroundings—in front of me was a staircase, leading to a lower area where there was some kind of dried well. To my left and right were small decks leading around that lower plank, and on these decks—which ran around the whole room—were shelves.

This was where I ran.

I grabbed the first thing I saw which looked like a weapon, and then ducked behind the shelves, peeking out from behind several large pots. Each pot was filled with a different kind of purification salt.

_So many… _I thought, becoming worried. There was a lot more to being a shrine keeper than I'd realized.

Glancing at what I held in my hands, I realized that what I was holding was a bow—just a bow.

"IDIOT!" I screamed.

And then, because I'd completely blown my cover, I just kept screaming.

"Not very good at hiding yourself, are you?" the voice whispered.

"Who are you? Are you a demon?"

"Very good," it said silkily. "You're catching on. And _much _more fun to talk to than that old woman…" as it said this I felt something touch the back of my neck and I shuddered, cringing.

"Leave me alone," I whispered, closing my eyes.

"I'd love to, but I can't at this moment. There's just one thing I'd like you to do for me…"

"Kagome!"

"Kagome!"

"Kagome!"

Three voices all shouted my name at the same time and I screamed. "Mom! Grandpa!"

My mother and my grandfather were standing at the shrine entrance with a sort of fat old lady with a stern expression. My grandfather held his useless purification salt with him—but why had it worked for me?—and my mother was clutching some kind of protective ward. The old woman, to my surprise, held a bow and arrow.

_How can she fight?_

"Kagome Higurashi, listen very carefully," the old woman said with a tone to match her expression. "The demon cannot hurt you. I want you to stand up. I want you to slowly walk back to us. Don't get distracted. Concentrate on getting here. But most importantly—_don't let it speak to you_."

"Girl, if you want to live you should listen to me very carefully," the voice said, just as calm as before but with just the barest hint of steel.

I looked down, conflicted. "I don't trust you," I whispered.

"Don't speak to it child!" the old woman shouted. "Come to us. Block it out."

I froze, staring at her.

"_Now_."

I stood up.

"Go ahead…" the voice purred. "If you want your family to die…"

My eyes widened in fear.

"…you know what I can do…"

I felt a hand on my waist.

"Kagome!" my mother screamed. "Please, listen to Kaede! She is a priestess, she knows what to do!"

"Kagome leave there, now!" my grandfather shouted as well.

I stared at them in complete terror.

"Kagome…" it hissed.

No.

_Don't speak to me… _I chanted to myself, taking my first step.

"Kagome, you're making a mistake… I'm not your enemy… I just need a little help from you…"

"Don't…" I whispered.

"Don't speak to it, keeping walking!" Kaede snapped, stringing her bow.

I looked at her, completely helpless.

And nodded.

I took two more steps.

"Kago…"

_No!_

My pace quickened.

"That's good, Kagome. That's right. Concentrate on us, do you hear what I'm saying? Yes, yes, very good, think about my words, you're almost there," Kaede coaxed.

"Ka…"

I gulped.

"Kago…"

_NO!_

I sprinted out of the shrine and into my mother's arms.

Instantly the fading voice disappeared. It was as if it had been snuffed out like a candle.

_The ward… _I realized, looking at the small stone swan which my mother grasped in both hands.

"Begone, demon," Kaede mutter, knotching an arrow on her bow.

She loosed it.

The arrow shot through the shrine, burying its head in the far wall of the shrine. I felt something pulse through the shrine and as it hit me I gasped.

"You can feel that, child?" Kaede asked in surprise.

"Well, yeah, duh." I frowned in confusion. "You guys can't?"

"Well, I can, but I'm an experienced, not to mention _old _priestess," Kaede said, smiling. "Most young priestesses at your age can't sense the Expulsion Pulse."

"Expulsion Pulse?" I asked in confusion.

"It's an ancient technique which priests and priestesses use to expel demons from sacred grounds," my grandfather explained, seeming excited to be able to boast his knowledge of shrine keeping. "Without fail it'll work, if you know how to do it!"

Kaede grimaced. "Unfortunately, that's not quite true. There are different kinds of Expulsion Pulses for different kinds of demons, each of which takes a great deal of practice to be able to use. And they don't work on all kinds of demons."

"What kind of a demon was this?" my mother asked hesitantly, still gripping the swan for dear life.

"You can relax, it has fled the shrine," Kaede said. "And this, my child, is no ordinary demon. Kagome, can you describe to us what you felt while it was attacking you?"

I frowned. "Well… it wasn't really _attacking _me. It just kind of threatened me. It wanted me to do something for it."

Kaede stared hard at me. "It couldn't touch you?"

I shuddered. "Well—yes, I felt it."

My grandfather and mother looked at me in concern. "What do you mean, it could touch you?"

I looked down, flushing. "Well… sometimes… I thought I felt something. Something would touch my neck or my back, and then it would be gone. And… the _thing_… would speak to me again." I shivered. "I was really scared."

"I'm sorry, sweetie," my mother whispered, and she and my grandfather hugged me tightly.

"Is Kagome all right?!" Sota's panicked shout came as he raced toward us. "I thought I heard screaming!"

"Me too," Rin said worriedly, coming out of the house. "What happened?"

"Kagome was attacked by a demon," Grandpa informed them. They stopped and yelped. "Do you see now? This is why you should not be involved with their kind! They are all bad!"

"On the contrary," Kaede said wisely, "There are demons who are very good. Otherwise, humans and demons wouldn't integrate. I'm sure you'll meet friendly demons at school."

Our grandfather muttered something which sounded suspiciously like, "Old coot."

We giggled and Kaede raised her eyebrows but said nothing.

"Wait, you said that was no ordinary demon," I said suddenly. "What makes it different?"

"I think that that demon has been placed under some kind of curse," Kaede said. "Clearly, it is the remains of an extremely powerful demon which was bound or sealed by a priest or priestess."

We nodded—we all knew about binding and sealing.

"Must not have been a very good spell," I said wryly.

"Or else it was just a _very _powerful demon," Kaede said, equally wry.

"It _was _a very powerful demon," Rin emphasized, eyes worried. "But it's not anymore, right?"

"The demon in that form can't physically hurt you," Kaede said sagely. "Although it could manipulate you. Kagome, what did it want you to do?"

"I don't know; it never got to say."

"Did you block it out like I told you to?"

I nodded. "Its voice was getting weaker towards the end."

"That's good," Kaede said. "Because while it is speaking to you, while you can hear its voice, it means it has entry to your mind. And if it has entry to your mind… it could control you."

I gasped. "You mean… it could've…"

Kaede nodded gravely. "In theory, it could have forced you to do what it wanted."

I shuddered, and my family hugged me closer.

"So… is there something in that shrine which that demon could use to return to full power?" my mother asked.

"Is this demon the one which tried to rob the shrine?" Rin asked.

My mother and my grandpa stared at her, and then at Kaede. "Someone tried to rob the shrine?"

"Aye," Kaede said. "Child, did ye see the report on the news?"

Rin nodded. "Kagome did too," she added.

She looked at us together. "Then you should both know that what was said on the report and what is the truth are not identical."

We stared at her, excited.

"Then you do have some idea who did it?!" I asked.

Kaede nodded. "Probably one of the followers of this demon, like dear Rin said."

Rin sighed. "Actually, I said it was _this _demon," Rin said. "But I was close, I guess."

Kaede smiled. "Closer than the police have come, child."

Rin perked up a little at that.

"The police are way out of their depth when it comes to demons," Grandpa sniffed. "They should leave it to the professionals."

"Like you?" Sota teased. Sota and I snickered. Rin grinned guiltily. Grandpa scowled.

"They're just kids, Dad; they'll respect you when they're older," my mom said, grinning.

Grandpa harrumphed_. _

"So… Kaede-sama, is the Orb of Night the thing which the demon wants?" Rin asked.

"The Orb of Night?" My grandfather asked incredulously. Even my mother gasped.

I knew it, it _was_ famous!

"What's the Orb of Night?" Sota asked.

"It's time you learn a little about this shrine—and about the revered antique which it is a tribute to," Kaede said, stepping into the shrine.

"Wait—will the demon come back?" I asked.

"I'm afraid I don't have the strength to perform permanent Expulsion Pulses anymore, my child," Kaede said sadly. "That's why I need a new family with strong spiritual powers." Something in her voice told me that there was one person in this 'new family' whom she was particularly interested in.

Kaede sighed. "Aye, the demon will come back. But not for another week at least." She looked sternly at us. "Your duty as shrine keepers is to protect the shrine and all its contents from harm. While you live here, you will become my apprentices. Aye, even you, Mrs. Higurashi and Mr. Sasaki," Kaede teased.

Rin, Sota, and I grinned.

"Now, today will be your first lesson. Follow me, and I'll give you all a tour of the shrine."

We followed her tentatively into the shrine. The only lighting came from the sunlight shining through the windows. Sota stepped a little closer to my mother.

"This is so cool," Rin whispered.

Kaede smiled. "It's okay, you don't have to whisper."

Rin blushed. I grinned.

Kaede led us down to the well. "This well is the Bone-Eater's Well," she said. "It is the origin of the Sacred Jewel, also known as the Shikon Jewel, or Jewel of Four Souls."

"The Sacred Jewel is the origin of the Orb of Night, correct?" my mom asked.

Kaede nodded wisely. I was beginning to think she couldn't do anything without it being wise, sage, or grave.

"Um… us clueless children kind of need some background info on that," I said politely.

Kaede smiled at me. "Well, I could provide you with enough background info to make you never want to talk about shrines or Sacred Jewels again, but I'm guessing you want the short version."

Rin smiled angelically. "That would be wonderful!"

"A long time ago, five hundred years ago, there existed a thing called the Sacred Jewel. It held immense power—enough to grant demons unlimited strength, and enough to grant humans an unconditional wish. The Jewel was protected by a long line of priests and priestesses. But slowly it became corrupted, as it fell into the hands of greedy humans and demons.

"But at one point in time, somehow—it's unclear how it happened—the Jewel was shattered into thousands of fragments. Demons and humans around the world were scrounging around for them, desperate for just a little taste of that indescribable power. One half demon in particular became extremely powerful: his name was Naraku. A master manipulator, he used countless people all over the world to get what he wanted—and then he disposed of them. Once a person was unfortunate enough to fall into Naraku's web, there was no getting back out.

"There was one band of people—composed of a priestess, and demon slayer, a monk, two demons and I believe a half demon—who formed a group because they all had a common interest: destroying Naraku. It was this group that, in the end, managed to seal Naraku away into the Sacred Jewel itself. Then the priestess purified it. But instead of disintegrating or disappearing as they'd expected, somehow it seemed to absorb Naraku's power. The Jewel grew larger—it now had the ability to seal other demons and half demons inside it. And that was what it was used for. It kept growing, until finally it was no longer the Sacred Jewel. A priest dubbed it the Orb of Night, because of the way it looks like a night sky filled with stars."

"Are we gonna get to see it?" Sota asked hopefully.

I rolled my eyes, grinning at Rin. She grinned back; my brother was so naïve.

Kaede smiled. "Just follow me."

Behind the well, still in that lower area beneath the floor level, was a door.

Kaede opened it and held it politely for us as we shuffled inside. It was a very small room—it couldn't have been bigger than ten feet by ten feet. It would have been very dark as well—for it had no windows or lamps or torches—if it hadn't been illuminated by a strange silver light which radiated from something set at chest level in the middle of the room.

_The Orb of Night._

It was a sphere, resting on an ornately carved wooden pedestal. As I stared at it, entranced, I felt as if I was sinking into its endless depths, as if I were staring into the night itself…

"It's beautiful," Rin whispered, awed. She raised her hand instinctively and then put it down, looking embarrassed.

Sota, however, had no such reserves. "Kaede-sama can I touch it?" he asked.

Kaede smiled. "Of course. If you can."

Without regard to the latter part of this statement, Sota reached foreward, fingers outstretched.

But he could not touch the Orb of Night.

It was as if a cold wave surged forth, stealing up his arm before he could pull it back. "What was that?" he gasped.

Kaede smiled. "The barrier of the Orb of Night. Tell me, child: what did it feel like?"

Sota shivered. "It was cold. Really cold."

Kaede nodded sagely (see what I mean?). "A person can only penetrate the barrier if they are pure-hearted and have spiritual powers. The fact that the barrier only felt cold shows that you are pure-hearted—but you don't have spiritual powers."

Sota looked down, lower lip jutting out. "Oh." He frowned. "Does that mean I can't be a shrine keeper?"

Kaede smiled kindly at him. "Of course not. There are many jobs in the shrine for a person who has no spiritual powers." She looked at the rest of us. "Anyone else want to try?"

We glanced at each other uncomfortably.

Kaede laughed. "Come, it won't hurt you! Well, as long as you're pure hearted," she added ominously.

Finally my mother stepped forward. "I will."

She hesitantly reached her hands out for the Orb—and placed her fingers on its surface.

We gasped.

"What does it feel like?" Sota asked, clearly jealous.

My mother gazed at her fingers on the Orb in wonder. "It feels like…" suddenly she gasped, retracting her hands. "I felt the cold!"

Kaede raised her eyebrows. "That's interesting. Well, it's clear that you have some amount of spiritual powers… but not enough to hold the Orb of Night."

Rin frowned. "You mean some people have more spiritual power than other people? And the Orb of Night only lets the people with the most hold it?" she asked, as if feeling personally insulted.

I grinned. "Even the Orb of Night can't escape prejudice, huh, Mom?"

My mom grinned at me, just faintly disappointed. "Why don't one of you try now?"

"Wait, I should go first, to make sure it's safe," my grandfather announced. Rin and I smirked. We didn't need to speak to tell each other what we were thinking.

He moved toward the Orb of Night with a confidence that, I swear, made Kaede sigh.

His fingers didn't come close.

He frowned. "Damned barrier," he muttered. "Something must be wrong with the thing."

Kaede smiled a little, and said, "Kagome? Rin?"

I was about to volunteer but Rin immediately said happily, "I'll go!"

She reached out hopefully, but like Sota, she was repelled.

She frowned briefly, but then her face was awed. "You're right! It's cold and weird!" she exclaimed, intrigued.

I smiled to myself; Rin must not have a scrap of spiritual power, because she's the most pure-hearted person on the face of the Earth.

"Kagome?" Kaede asked.

Her gaze was intense as it fell upon my face. I focused on the Orb, a little uncomfortable. As I stepped closer to it, it was almost as if I were being pulled toward the orb. An intangible force had gotten a strong hold on me, and I raised my hand toward the beautiful, night-sky sphere almost involuntarily.

And I touched it.

I gasped as something surged through me. But it wasn't a cold feeling, like the others had said. But undoubtedly, it was weird.

I raised my other hand, placing both my palms on the sphere. My hands were beginning to vibrate a little… yet my heart… my heart almost slowed….

"Pick it up," Kaede said.

Her voice sounded as if it came from far away. I did as she asked, and gasped, the Orb of Night resting securely in my steady hands.

Everyone stared at me.

Kaede's gaze was the most intense and the most unreadable as she stared at me, at my face, at the Orb in my hands.

"It takes an immense amount of spiritual power to be able to do that, child," she said very quietly, so quietly I almost thought it wasn't meant for me to hear.

Rin and my mother stared at me in awe; Sota and my grandfather in a mixture of admiration and envy.

"What does it feel like?" Rin asked.

"It's…" I tried to find words to describe this feeling, this pulsating which came from the Orb, as if it were living. It was an abyss of power, all locked inside a single sphere… "I can't describe it," I finally admitted.

"You're so lucky," Rin and Sota breathed together.

Kaede smirked at the look on my face. "Maybe we should take this away before dear Kagome becomes a bit too intoxicated," she said, delicately removing the Orb of Night from my hands. For some reason I relaxed, almost relieved, as if there had been a heavy weight on my shoulders which I wasn't able to feel until it was lifted.

Suddenly something clicked. "You can hold it too, then?" I asked.

Kaede smiled. "Aye, I can hold it." She looked at us, resting the Orb back on its pedestal. "This is a test given to all people who are coming to be the new shrine keepers. I had to take this test, along with my parents, when we came here so long ago. My father and I passed, although my mother did not. And every family or person before has taken this test, ever since the Orb of Night came to reside in our shrine. For a family to pass and be able to be the shrine keepers, at least one person in the family has to be able to hold the Orb."

My mother frowned. "So if Kagome had not been able to hold the Orb, would you have sent us back?"

Kaede nodded. "Now, don't take offense. It'd be for ye own good. It takes a great amount of spiritual power to be able to use the strongest techniques—and sometimes, the strongest techniques are what are necessary to defeat the demons which come here." She sighed. "At my old age, I am beginning to lose me strength. And so I found all of ye—because I can still offer ye the best training to use ye spiritual power in all of Japan."

We grinned.

"I like her," Rin whispered to me.

"Me too."

The rest of the tour consisted of her showing us around this section of the shrine, explaining some of the weapons in brief detail. We came to where her arrow rested in the wall of the shrine.

"How do you use an Expulsion Pulse?" Rin asked curiously.

Kaede smiled kindly. "Unfortunately, it takes spiritual power to use the Expulsion Pulse, so I will only be teaching that one to Kagome and Mrs. Higurashi. But there are plenty of techniques which Sota, Mr. Sasaki, and yeself will learn."

"Like what?" Sota and Rin asked, while Grandpa muttered something like, "Doesn't have a clue…"

"We'll get to that in due time, children," Kaede said. She smiled. "Okay, today's lesson is over. Tomorrow, both ye and I will probably be very busy, so lessons will start during the school week. I'm going to be meeting with ye all privately."

We all frowned in confusion. Rin and I looked at each other, disappointed.

"It's necessary," Kaede explained, "For me to be able to teach ye at yer ability's level. So since there are five of ye—to start off, ye'll each be coming to me once a week, at a set day. Mrs. Higurashi, would Monday work for ye?"

My mom nodded.

"Mr. Sasaki, Tuesday?"

He nodded, still a bit grudging at the whole discrimination-over-spiritual-power thing.

"Okay, Rin, Wednesday?"

She nodded eagerly.

"Kagome, Thursday?"

I grinned, excited to learn more about my powers.

"And Sota, will ye be all right coming on Fridays?"

Sota nodded, also excited.

Kaede smiled. "It's set, then."

"Where should we meet you?" my mom asked, organized as ever.

"Would it be too much to ask for ye to come to my house?"

"No, of course not. We'd be happy to, if you will tell us where it is," my mom said.

Kaede wrote an address on a scrap of paper and handed it to her.

My mom nodded and pocketed it. Then she looked to Kaede earnestly and said, "Thank you so much for everything you have done for us. We couldn't be more grateful."

Kaede smiled cheerily. "Oh, it's nothing. After all, ye still have a lot of work ahead of ye. Shrine keeping is a tough, complicated business."

"Oh we know," Rin said, smiling. "But don't worry, we're happy to learn anything you want us to."

Sota and I nodded.

"I'm glad," Kaede said. She checked her watch. "I must be going now—but I'll see ye during the week. For the children, would right after school be alright? When is that?"

"I think that would be two thirty for Kagome and Rin, and three for Sota," my mom said.

Kaede smiled. "Good. And yeselves, Mrs. Higurashi and Mr. Sasaki?"

My grandfather frowned. "Well, I'm quite a busy man…"

I grinned. "He can come any time."

Grandpa glared at me.

Kaede gave me a small smirk.

"As for me, I can come any time between five and seven," my mom said.

Kaede smiled. "Good. Then I'll expect ye any time between five and seven. And it's set. Goodbye, and I look forward to meeting with ye all privately."

She waved to us, and got into her car, driving away.

"Mom, how did she know to come help me?" I asked.

"She was already here, thank goodness," my mom said. "She was explaining some things to us. I think she intended to give us that tour of the shrine. But then she said she sensed a demonic aura—and then we heard your scream." My mom shuddered.

"Well, I'm okay now," I said hastily. But I couldn't forget that memory.

I couldn't forget that voice.

**A/N: H****i everyone! I hope people like this story so far! Thanks to keiko-kun for reviewing! Anyone who has anything to say, PLEASE REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!! Or else the spirit of the bound shrine demon will possess you and FORCE YOU TO!**


	4. Enter Sango

**A/N: Hey everybody! Here's chapter four! I've spent the last half hour replacing my chapters over and over again because I realized I forgot a disclaimer and then when I replaced chapter three I accidentally nuked the A/N! Don't worry, it's back! (Took me about four tries, but it's the outcome that counts—I hope, cause otherwise I'm screwed)**

Disclaimer: No Inuyasha for me…

CHAPTER FOUR: ENTER SANGO

"Are you ready?!" Rin squealed.

I blinked groggily at her. "What the hell, Rin? What time is it?"

"Eleven o'clock, it's way past time! Come on, you've got to get up!"

Ugh. I stood slowly. "Um… care to tell me where we're going?"

Rin smiled brightly. "Nope. Just get dressed, get breakfast and come on!"

I groaned at her enthusiasm, but couldn't help but smile.

In half an hour we were in the car, my mom driving.

"I would've thought _you _would tell me where we're going," I grumbled. "I mean, we all know Rin's crazy, but you haven't lost it yet… as far as I can tell."

Rin stuck her tongue out at me. My mom turned briefly to flash me a grin before turning her eyes back to the road.

"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet," she said, smiling. "You have your wallet? Cell phone?"

I rolled my eyes. My wallet and cell phone were like an extension of my body.

We raced down the street, entering the city of Tokyo. And suddenly I groaned.

"You've got to be kidding me," I moaned.

"Nope," Rin and my mom said brightly.

"Why?" I asked, betrayed. I didn't want anything to do with this city. Yes, perhaps I had experienced a treacherous moment of excitement while discussing the shrine. But that didn't apply anymore.

I would _not _let myself be happy here.

"Because you girls deserve some fun," my mom explained. "And what better way than a full day shopping spree?"

"It's not like we have much pocket money anyway," I muttered.

I knew it was guilty and I felt awful saying it, but I couldn't help it. How could she act like she could wrench me from my home and dump me in a mall to make up for it?

My mom's smile faltered slightly, but Rin was undaunted. "Don't worry, there must be _something _affordable. Even if it's just at the 5 & 10."

I laughed. "Great. We're gonna spend the whole day buying rubber bands, then."

"_Colored _rubber bands," Rin corrected mockingly. "I even heard they have them shaped as animals!"

We laughed together.

"But Mom," I complained, having one last hope, "We don't even know our way around the city."

My mom raised her eyebrows. "You're telling me you're sixteen and you're afraid to walk around without adult supervision?" She grinned. "I _suppose _I could come with you, if you really don't want to be alone…"

"No!" Me and Rin shouted instantly, giggling. "We'll be fine, Mom! Don't worry."

My mom smiled. She knew I was defeated. "Good."

Damn my mother and her infallible planning.

Tokyo was very busy, very lively, and very crowded. My mom pulled up by a parked car and let us out. "Bye, girls. Have fun! Call me when you want a ride home!"

"Okay!" Rin said cheerfully, pulling me out of the car.

I stared at the car sorrowfully as it drove away. "Woe is me," I moaned.

"Oh come on, it's the city. You loved shopping in Okinawa."

"_Loved _would be an exaggeration," I muttered. "And that was just cause it was Okinawa."

Rin sighed, smiling sadly. "Who couldn't love Okinawa?"

"How could _you _love _Tokyo?_" I nearly screamed, ignoring the people who turned around to stare (or glare) at us.

"Um… Kagome…" Rin said awkwardly.

"What's wrong with Tokyo?" a male voice demanded.

I jumped, whirling around to see a boy standing behind me. He looked to be around my age, maybe a year or two older. But my jaw dropped—because he was stunningly handsome.

Tall, muscular and tanned, he smirked down at me. His hair was long and silver, his eyes were a bright, fiery gold, and his ears—were dog ears, sitting on top of his head.

_He's a demon, _I realized.

_Holy shit, it can't be… no. It's not._

For the briefest second, he had thought that maybe… _Fuck it, of course she's not her. _It had been two years. Seeing dead people on the streets wasn't healthy.

He raked his eyes over the girl before him. _She's really cute, _he thought. Then he shook the thought out of his head.

"What're you staring at, chick?" he snapped.

I blinked, smashing back down to Earth. "What are _you _staring at?" I retorted. "And _don't _call me chick, dog-boy."

Rin giggled. The boy's smirk widened. People around us began to stop and watch.

He suddenly wrinkled his nose. "Ugh. Damn human smell. You're lucky you're cute."

I blushed, to my extreme embarrassment and his vindictive delight.

"Shut up, idiot," I muttered. I grabbed Rin's arm. "Come on Rin, we're going."

I started to stomp past him, but I felt a pressure on my wrist. I yelped as I was pulled backwards. The guy—the _jerk_—was pinning my arms to my sides, holding me in front of him!

"Come on, don't be like that," he pleaded mockingly as I glared at him. Rin looked between us, a little scared.

My eyes narrowed. "Let go of me, asshole."

He grinned. "What if I don't want to?"

Damn it, he was playing with me.

I looked him up and down. He was a demon. It was clear he could hurt me if he wanted to. Sure, he was a jerk, but… he didn't seem evil.

"Well, I could always make a scene…" I mused.

"You don't think I'm cute at all? You were staring a heck of a lot before."

I glared at him, and then grinned a little. "The only thing that's cute about _you _are those fluffy dog ears on top of your head."

That got to him. He pushed me away. "Keh."

_Keh? _What kind of a word was that?

He flicked me a grin as he turned away from me. "You're not worth my time," he said, grinning.

"The only person who would _ever _go out with you would have to be a slut," I shot back.

His eyes narrowed. "You're beginning to irritate me."

"Then leave," I suggested. I waved my hand. "Bye-bye, dog-boy."

He rolled his eyes. "See you later, bitch."

I gawked at him, face bright red, ears steaming.

"_What _did you just call me you ass—"

Rin grabbed me before I could run after him. "Just let it go!" my less hot-headed, more cautious sister pleaded anxiously.

I stood and fumed, less because I was worried about what that asshole could do to me and more because I didn't want to upset Rin.

"Can you _believe _him?!" I choked out. "What a—immature—rude—stupid—jackass—JERK!"

I swore I heard chuckling coming from somewhere lost in the crowd.

"He likes you," Rin said, smiling.

_What _did she just say?

"What the hell, Rin," I stated.

Although still grinning, Rin glared at me. "Shut up! Come on, he's cute, too."

I scoffed.

Rin smiled at me. "You think he's cute, don't you?"

"I think he's a total—"

"Just because he called you something rude doesn't mean you have to do the same," Rin chided. "You know you're above that."

I gaped at her. "Are you crazy? Have I somehow missed that all these years?"

Rin grinned. "Maaaaybe," she said, giggling.

I rolled my eyes. "Let's just go shop, before I change my mind and go hunt that idiot down."

Rin laughed. "Don't worry, I'll keep you out of jail till we move out."

I sighed. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Rin."

She smiled. "You'll do fine. Cause I'm only going to risk leaving you once you're ready for it."

I grinned, throwing my arm around the shorter girl's shorter, letting that slide.

Our mom had dropped us off a few stores down from a _huge _mall which absolutely screamed "COME WASTE YOUR MONEY ON WAY OVERPRICED STUFF WHICH WILL RIP THE FIRST TIME YOU WEAR IT!" Rin and I laughed as she dragged me through the doors. There it was again: that silent connection between us, that let us share a joke without even saying it.

We stopped dead as we got inside, because at that moment our jaws unhinged and dropped to the floor.

"Whoa," Rin gasped. "This place is huge."

Which it was—gargantuan by our standards. It was much bigger than any mall we'd been to in Okinawa or any other place we'd lived, in any case.

But I shrugged, still determined not to show any admiration for Tokyo. "It's probably all flash. We won't be able to say we like it until we see the real _clothes_."

Rin nodded, jaw set. "You're right. No getting excited."

I grinned at her, and then, faces blank and chins high, we marched into the first store we saw.

"OH MY GOD!" Rin squealed, immediately losing the 'cool' façade and running to a cute short-sleeved shirt.

I rolled my eyes, laughing. "Lost it already, Rin? Really?" I asked, feigning disapproval. "This must be a record."

Rin pouted. "I did not _lose it. _See? I'm totally negative. I don't even like this shirt," she said, giving it a disdainful flick and a longing glance.

I grinned. "I bet you you can't last five minutes in this store without rushing like an idiot to try something on."

Rin's eyes narrowed. "You're on. A dollar?"

We shook on it.

We delicately browsed through the shirts. I laughed at Rin's expression; I could almost see the sweat breaking out on her forehead. The poor girl was close to having some kind of spasm.

"Three more minutes…" I mused, checking my watch. She bit her lip. I looked at her, growing a bit worried that she might be about to have a seizure. "You can try it on, if you want," I told her, laughing. "It's only a dollar."

Rin shook her head. "Nope. Not a chance."

I grinned, turning back to the clothes. I sorted through them, spending an agonizing amount of time on each one, "Ooing" and "ahing" with exaggerated enthusiasm. Rin, beside me, let out a tortured moan.

"Hey, is your friend okay?" a friendly voice asked.

I turned around to see a tall girl standing next to me, examining a pair of shorts on a different rack. She had dark brown hair up in a high ponytail, with bangs falling to dark eyebrows. Her skin was even-toned and nicely tanned—a better tan than my slight one. She was tall—oh the pain!—and slim, with the kind of athletic build I wish I had. She wore a sporty short-sleeved shirt and jean shorts. She wore no make-up, but she didn't need it; her eyebrows were dark and her eyelashes were thick enough as it is. She was grinning in a half bemused, half concerned way.

I grinned back. "Oh, yeah, she's fine. Just Rin-ing out." I turned to Rin. "Hey, snap out of it, you're starting to worry people."

Rin blinked. "Oh, sorry." She grinned at the girl. "Hi, I'm Rin, and this is Kagome, who's too crazy to remember her name." The girl laughed. "What's your name?"

"Sango Takeda," she replied.

"We're from the Higurashi family," I said.

Sango's eyes widened. "You're the ones who are moving into the shrine?"

We grinned awkwardly. "Uh, yeah… is that weird?"

Sango grinned. "You guys sure are touchy. Course it's not weird. I was just interested—see, we live in that same area, and my family is involved in the demon slaying business."

"Really?" Rin and I asked, intrigued.

Sango grinned. "No, I'm lying."

I laughed, but Rin grinned, flushing. I elbowed her in the ribs. "She's being sarcastic," I informed her politely, grinning.

Rin laughed. "Wow, sorry." She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "So, does that mean we'll be going to school together?"

Sango's eyes lit up. "Yeah, probably! This'll be great—I can point out all the cute guys, and the crazy teachers, and the school sluts…"

We laughed.

"Oh!" Sango suddenly said. "Hey, I saw a shirt just now… it's not my style but it'd look great on you guys… here!"

She pulled a shirt out from the rack.

My eyes widened. It was completely adorable—a black V-neck with stitching going down the back and white lines swirling down across the arm and the waist in an arc.

I grinned vindictively at Rin. "Yeah, that looks great. I'll think I'll try it, thanks!"

I took the shirt, smiled angelically at Rin, and headed towards the changing room.

A loud moan was heard and then the sound of rushing footsteps as my adopted sister raced into the changing room with her new shirt.

I smiled.

"I can't believe you did that to me!" Rin moaned ten minutes later, glaring at me as we left the store with Sango, each with a new shirt.

"If you're going to blame anybody, blame her," I said, grinning.

"It wasn't fair! It was outside interference!" Rin complained.

Sango raised her eyebrows at us, and then, thinking better of it, just rolled her eyes, grinning.

"Pay up," I said, holding out a hand. Rin dug around in her pocket and reluctantly handed me a dollar.

"You're a jerk," Rin muttered. She peeked at me from the corner of her eyes, turning her head, thinking I couldn't see her smiling.

"But I'm a jerk who's now a dollar richer," I reminded her, my grin wide.

She groaned.

"So… what were you guys betting on?" Sango finally asked, unable to bear our idiocy any longer.

We just broke out laughing.

"All right, what store do you want to hit next?" Sango asked excitedly.

"The ice cream store!" Rin suggested immediately.

"You're in the hugest mall on the face of the earth and you want to go eat _ice cream?_" I asked incredulously.

Rin grinned. "And what's wrong with that?"

I grinned back. "Absolutely nothing. Ice cream it is!"

The three of us cheered, and Sango led us to her favorite ice cream store.

We sat down, Sango licking a cone of chocolate-peanut-butter, Rin with cotton candy ice cream, and me with my favorite: strawberry.

"This is heavenly," Rin moaned.

"Well, it _is _called _Heaven's Ice,_" I noted.

"Not only is it _called _Heaven's Ice, it _is _Heaven's Ice," Sango said firmly, sighing in contentment.

"This is even better than that place back home," Rin said.

I immediately pulled my ice cream away from my mouth. "Don't be stupid," I said.

Rin smirked at me. "I bet you you can't not eat this ice cream," she said.

I glared at her, and then at the ice cream, which was now my enemy. "A dollar?"

"Deal."

We shook on it.

"You guys do a lot of betting, don't you?" Sango asked, amused.

"You want to join in?" Rin and I asked. It was clear from our faces that it was a challenge.

Sango grinned. "Sure. Just a dollar though? You don't want to raise the stakes?"

"That's already going to be a two-dollar loss for somebody," Rin reminded her.

"Yeah, we're here for shopping, not high-stakes gambling," I said. Sango grinned.

"Okay, okay, sure."

"So, who's side?" I asked.

Sango's smirk widened. "Easy. Rin's; nobody can resist Heaven's Ice."

"Well, you have just met nobody," I announced.

Sango's eyes flashed with humor. "Then go throw the ice cream out."

My smile was wiped clean off my face. I was beginning to think that Sango harbored a secret evil side.

"It's only a matter of time," Rin whispered to Sango.

"I heard that!"

They giggled.

"So, where do you guys come from anyway?" Sango asked, casually licking her ice cream cone.

"Okinawa," Rin said with a mouth full of cotton candy ice cream.

"Wow," Sango said. "I was there once for vacation, it's so pretty!"

Rin nodded dreamily. "Yeah, I know. The beaches are amazing."

"The town was pretty small though," Sango commented.

"That's what makes it great," I said defensively. "It doesn't need big cities like this."

Sango held up her hands in mock defense. "Okay, okay!"

I rolled my eyes.

We sat in a comfortable silence for another minute or so—well, all too comfortable for them, completely horrible for me, because when they stopped talking all I had to do was stare yearningly at my ice cream cone.

"Just give in," Rin hissed. "I want my dollar back!"

Sango leaned backwards, folding her arms behind her head, elaborately casual. "No, no, not yet. I want to watch this; it's the best entertainment I've had in ages!"

Rin and Sango cackled. I glared at them, and then smirked at Sango. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch, city-girl."

"Ha ha, small-town talk!" Sango cracked up.

My ice cream and I continued having our staring contest, while Sango and Rin elapsed into conversation about something which must have been trite and unimportant, compared to the nuclear war raging within my head.

_JUST EAT IT!_

NO!

_JUST EAT IT!_

NO!

_KAGOME HIGURASHI, __**JUST EAT THE FUCKING ICE CREAM!**_

__With a cry of agony, a took a huge, wonderful bite out of the delicious—I mean horrible but addictive—ice cream. Rin and Sango smiled in triumph, wordlessly holding out their hands for their money.

"So, what do you do as a demon slayer?" I asked Sango as she, Rin, and I walked out of the fifth clothes store we'd visited today.

"Slay demons," she joked.

"But I mean, how? What are the rules? You can't just go around killing random demons, right?"

Sango gave me a pained look. "What do you think?"

I flushed.

She grinned, rolling her eyes. "It's kind of like a police system. There are groups of us, and different ranks. I'm proud to say I'm pretty high up. So periodically, we're sent out on patrols, making sure we don't see any violent demon activity. You know that sometimes, there'll be one demon, or a group, which starts attacking humans. So we have to make sure that we capture that demon, and bring them to the base—we try not to kill them, although if it's a life-or-death situation, we're allowed to." She took a card out from her wallet and showed it to me. It was a picture of her, wearing some kind of cool, tight-fitting armor, looking serious, her hair up the way it is now. It showed her height, weight, age, birthday, name, and rank.

"Sango Takeda, license to kill," I said, nodding with approval. "Cool."

"Really cool," Rin agreed. "Shrine keepers don't get cool license cards—not even if they can hold the Orb of Night," she added, smiling innocently at me.

Sango turned to stare at us. "Why do I get the feeling that that comment means one of you can hold the Orb of Night?"

Rin jerked her head toward me, looking at me with nothing but admiration. "Kagome can," she said. "We tried it yesterday, with Kaede-sama."

Sango nodded—she did recall that the new shrine keepers were to become the old priestess's apprentices. She stared at me in awe. "Seriously?"

I nodded. "I guess that's not common," I said with a grin.

Sango bit her lip, and then grinned, shaking her head. "No. I don't believe you—not until you show me."

"Can demon slayers hold it?" I asked curiously.

"Not unless we have spiritual powers—we're strong, but not in the priestess way. I've always thought real fighting was more reliable than that spirit stuff, though," she said.

"So you can't touch it?"

"Do I look like a damn priestess to you?" Sango asked, irked and amused.

"No. Just an ordinary demon slayer," I said, grinning. She rolled her eyes, laughing. I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Not that I've ever tried touching it," Sango added. Her eyes lit up. "Tomorrow—could you show it to me after school?"

We glanced at each other.

"I don't know," Rin said hesitantly. "I'm not really sure we're supposed to take people to the Orb."

"Oh c'mon, what's old Kaede gonna do, fire you?" Sango laughed.

Rin and I exchanged a worried glance. We couldn't risk getting our family fired—if it happened, we were utterly screwed.

Sango frowned at our seriousness. "Come on. If Kagome can really hold the Orb of Night, there is no way Kaede-sama is going to fire you guys unless you all go crazy and start randomly killing people." She leaned forward eagerly. "Do you realize how much spiritual power you must have if you can do that?"

I leaned back, a little perturbed.

She laughed at my expression. "You look like you're worried I'm gonna eat you. Don't worry—I'm not in a cannibalistic mood right now. It's on Mondays when you have to watch out for that." She grinned at us.

We laughed.

Sango was suddenly serious. "But seriously, though," she said, voice low. "If I were you, I'd keep this quiet. You don't want to know how many demons—or even humans—would want to get at someone who has that much power. Especially someone who doesn't know how to use it."

I nodded, suddenly afraid. "Yeah, I've already had experience with that."

Sango's eyes widened. "Was it a demon? Cause if it was, we'll come take it out for you."

"It's not any kind of demon you could help me out with," I said, sighing. "See, it attacked me yesterday. But it couldn't hurt me—it just spoke to me, though sometimes I would feel it touch me or something weird like that. It wanted me to do something for it. Kaede came and saved me, and then she got rid of it with an Expulsion Pulse, but she said it's just a temporary thing and the demon might come back eventually."

Sango listened, brows furrowed.

"It didn't have a body," Rin explained. "It's half-cursed, like it's managed to break out of a seal, leaving it bound to a shapeless, invisible form. But Kaede-sama said that…" she looked down, as if worried the demon might hear her. "She said, if you let it speak to you, that it might be able to control you."

All three of us shuddered.

Sango frowned. "We should find somebody who can put that demon under seal—and quickly. Kaede must not be up to it anymore, or she would've already." She looked at me suddenly. "Maybe she intends for you to do it!"

"M-me?" I stuttered. I laughed. "Kaede may be old, but I don't think she's that senile yet."

"Oh, Kaede's definitely not senile." Sango smiled. "She's really, really smart, that Kaede. Sharp, wise, and quick-thinking. Add to that a mountainload of spiritual power, and she's a formidable opponent for any demon. I bet she could hold the Orb of Night, right?"

Rin nodded, eyes sparkling. "It was like it was just an ordinary sphere to her. She just took it right out of Kagome's hands and put it back on the pedestal—like it was nothing."

"You're lucky you've found such a good master," Sango said, grinning. "And besides that, Kaede's pretty fair. There are lots of powerful priests and priestesses out there that are total bitches."

We grinned.

Another hour passed, and we left the mall in search of lunch.

"You guys got barely anything," Sango remarked. "It hurts, it does!"

Rin and I exchanged a glance—just as Sango commented on this, we had been thinking how we'd gotten to much. We'd entered the mall feeling as if we had the world at our palms. But one pair of shorts, one camisole, one short-sleeved shirt and one small addition to our make-up sets later, and we were broke.

But we didn't really feel like explaining our small amounts of pocket money to Sango.

"Umm… I seem to have _misplaced _the rest of my money," I said nervously.

Sango spun around to face me. "Oh god, don't tell me you lost your wallet."

"No, no, I just—I—uh—didn't bring as much money as I thought I had."

Rin nodded, looking harassed. "Yeah! That! People do that all the time! I did too!"

I sighed. Rin is an even worse liar than I am.

Sango frowned at us. "Are you guys okay?"

We glanced at each other.

"If you need me to pay for lunch, just say so," Sango said simply, seeming confused as to why we were so worried. "You don't even have to pay me back."

"No, we will," I assured her. "Thank you so much."

_How _we would pay her back was the problem.

Sango smiled at us, and we started walking again.

"Oh, here!" Sango suggested, pulling us into an expensive-looking club.

"We'll never be able to afford this…" I muttered to Rin.

Sango turned to us. "Hmm?"

"Nothing!" Rin and I yelped.

She grinned. "Okay, okay."

We exchanged a glance.

"Um… Sango…" Rin said quietly. "This place isn't really the best for us."

Sango smiled. "My treat, guys."

"Oh—are you sure?" Rin and I asked.

She grinned. "Sure. Don't let it go to your heads, though—it's mostly just cause I really want to come here."

We laughed, and the three of us chose a table.

"Thanks so much, Sango," I said. "Don't worry, I promise, we'll pay you back at some point or another—"

"Don't worry about it," Sango said easily.

I smiled. We'd narrowly escaped danger.

_Nothing wrong with having money troubles, _she thought, still smiling. _But if you don't want to say it, I won't push you. _

**A/N: Hiiii! Thanks so much for the faves and the alerts and stuff! It means so much to me! But you know what else means a lot to me? REVIEWS!!! So please, READ AND REVIEW! **


	5. Why High School Is Hell

**A/N: Hi! Chapter five is now here! Read and review, people! **

Disclaimer: …nope… I got nothing…

CHAPTER FIVE: WHY HIGH SCHOOL IS HELL

"Kagome, Rin, do you have your school uniforms?"

"Mother, would I be wearing something like this of my own free will?" I asked sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

Rin and I stood side by side in the mirror, looking at our school uniform. It consisted of a white shirt with a green collar and a small red bow-tie-like thing which I couldn't identify. The skirt was short and green.

Rin groaned. "You look so much better! I'm too short!"

"You look awesome, Rin," I said. "Green miniskirts suit you."

"Looks better on you," Rin muttered. She sighed. "I wish I had your genes, Kagome."

I rolled my eyes, trying not to grin because I refused to be happy about anything on my first day of tenth grade in Tokyo.

"I can't believe this place makes us wear uniforms," I muttered.

"Actually most schools make people wear uniforms," Rin commented. "Okinawa was just a little more relaxed than most places."

"Cause Okinawa was awesome."

Rin smiled.

"Hey, look on the bright side," she said. "At least this uniforms looks good."

"Rin have you ever even _worn _a skirt that short?" I asked.

Rin grinned. "I'm considering it now."

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, let's go before Mom—"

"Kagome, Rin, did you brush your teeth?"

"Yes mom!" we groaned in unison.

Five minutes later we were heading out the door—we were going to meet up with Sango and her friends, who would walk up to the school with us.

"Are my bangs okay?" I asked anxiously.

Rin smiled. "They're perfect. You're too hard on yourself, you look great. What about me?"

"You're great," I said, grinning. "You're too hard on yourself."

Rin stuck her tongue out at me. Then her eyes brightened. "Hey, there they are!"

Sango gave us a wave and a shout and started running toward us, two boys following. "Hey guys!" she called.

"Hi Sango!" Rin and I shouted back, grinning.

We met, Sango barely panting even though she'd been sprinting. I glanced at the first of the two boys—he was pretty cute, with a good physique, black hair in a low ponytail, and sparkling, mischievous deep blue eyes.

"And may I inquire your names, lovely ladies?" he asked smoothly, delicately raising my hand to his lips, and then Rin's.

Rin and I blushed. Sango, to my surprise, knocked Miroku upside the head with her fist. "Don't even try it, Miroku," she threatened.

We were confused, until we saw Miroku smile at her—simultaneously patting her backside.

Rin and I gaped, and then Miroku was wincing, hand raised to a bright red mark on his cheek. Sango just wiped her hands disdainfully.

"Sorry about this pervert, guys," Sango said cheerfully. "You get used to him eventually."

"Uh… yeah…" Rin said awkwardly. I laughed.

And then my eyes landed on the other boy.

I snarled. "_NO!_"

Sango, Miroku, and Rin all jumped back from me. The tall, dog-eared, silver-haired, golden-eyed demon boy, however, raised his eyebrows smirking. "Usually people don't do that till _after _they get to know me. Do I know you?"

I just fumed.

"Um… Kagome?" Rin asked hesitantly, pinching my arm. I ignored her, eyes popping out of my skull. How could _he _be _here? _

The boy suddenly frowned, narrowing his eyes. "Wait a minute…" suddenly his eyes popped wide. "You!"

"Oh you remember me now?" I hissed. "The _bitch _from yesterday?"

"_You!_"

"Her?" Sango and Miroku asked, confused.

Miroku frowned at me. "She doesn't look like a bitch to me, Inuyasha."

_Inuyasha? _That wasn't the name I would have expected.

"Keh, that's just cause you don't know her," Inuyasha muttered, shooting me a sly grin.

"Hey—_you _were that demon from yesterday?" Rin asked.

Inuyasha stared at her. "Sorry, but who the hell are you?"

Rin frowned, hurt. "Rin. Kagome's adopted sister. I was there yesterday."

"She was the one _standing right next to me,_" I said icily.

"Keh. I don't remember all the idiots I meet."

"I only remember them when they make the top ten, _Inuyasha_," I said tauntingly, smiling. "What does your name mean? Dog demon? Appropriate."

"Actually, this idiot's a half demon," Sango corrected.

Half demon?

Rin frowned at Inuyasha. "How can you be a half demon?"

Even I sighed a little at this, more because I was worried about Inuyasha's answer than because I was frustrated with Rin's slowness.

Inuyasha snorted. "Yeah, yeah, my mom's a human, my dad's a demon. Happy?"

Rin looked down. "I was just curious."

I narrowed my eyes at Inuyasha. I was okay with people being rude to me, to an extent, but when they picked on Rin I had had enough. "Shut up and don't be an ass to her. If you're going to pick on someone pick on me, but not Rin."

Inuyasha grinned at me. "Gladly, kid."

"My name is _Kagome. KA-GO-ME. _And who are you to call me _kid?_"

"I'm seventeen," he said, smirking. "You don't look seventeen to me."

"You get held back or something?"

He snorted.

"How old are you two?" Sango asked us.

"Sixteen," Rin replied with a smile, already recovered.

Sango nodded. "Me too," she said. "And this idiot," she added, pointing to Miroku.

"While we've taken a temporary break, ladies," Miroku said to us and Inuyasha, who growled, "From Inuyasha's stupidity, shall we go to school?"

"Gladly," Sango said.

"Do I have to walk with her?" Inuyasha complained.

"What are you, five?" I snorted.

"So you want to walk with _me_, then?" Inuyasha asked, grinning.

"No! You idiot!"

Sango, Miroku, and Rin exchanged a smirk. Inuyasha and I glared at them, though it was Inuyasha's deadly golden gaze which was measurably more frightening.

"What are you laughing about?" he growled.

They instantly sobered up—only to break out into giggles.

Inuyasha and I took one look at each other, glared, and moved to opposite sides of the group.

"Oh no," Sango said immediately, dragging me and Inuyasha next to each other. "You two need to bond. Kagome, Rin, you're part of our group now, and when people in the group don't get along the group explodes, then dies slowly, and finally is tortured to death."

"How can the group explode, then die slowly, and _then _be tortured to death?" Inuyasha grumbled.

"I don't know why you would question that logic," Miroku said smoothly. "It's very simple and logical, after all, it _is _Sango's—"

"Shut up idiot, there's no logic in it at all," Sango said. But she smiled.

Miroku caught her smile before she could wipe it off her face, and he smiled as well, content.

Rin and I couldn't help but grin at each other.

Inuyasha stared at them. "You idiots."

"But back to what I was saying," Sango said pointedly. "You guys have to learn to be friends."

"I don't have a problem with Rin," Inuyasha said, jerking his head at my adopted sister and best friend. "It's just Queen of Uptight Idiots who gets on my nerves."

_I can't believe I ever thought he was cute, _I thought vindictively.

"I'm really sorry, Sango, but _friend _is not a word I will ever apply to Inuyasha," I said apologetically, shooting him a glare.

"Keh," he scoffed, turning his head disdainfully away from me.

Sango smiled. "Good. You both loathe each other—that's one thing you've got in common. You'll be friends in no time."

Miroku suddenly appeared behind me and Inuyasha, wrapping his arms around our shoulders. We both cringed. "You know," he said wisely, grinning, "People say that when a girl and a boy can't stand each other, it's really just because they _like _each other."

Inuyasha and I gagged, immediately pushing him away.

"You idiot!" Inuyasha spat. "I'd never like that stupid, annoying, ugly bitch."

Rin and I gasped. Sango and Miroku, seeing my reaction, narrowed their eyes at Inuyasha.

It was clear he wasn't aware that he'd said anything particularly hurtful. I guess for people from Tokyo, they said stuff like that to people all the time. But for some reason, this time I felt his words even more strongly than before, when he was just a stranger on the street.

I felt tears prick my eyes, and cursed my oversensitivity to hell.

_Why should that hurt my feelings? _

Before he could realize how much what he had said hurt me, I pulled myself together and smiled icily at him. "Good. Now I don't feel as guilty about feeling the same way about you."

"Keh. You're an idiot if you'd feel guilty in the first place," Inuyasha scoffed.

Inuyasha and I moved to opposite ends of the group again, and this time, no one interfered.

Before now, I had thought there was hope for us to be friends, that our hate-relationship was half serious and half in fun. Now I knew that was not the case.

"Jerk," I muttered under my breath, knowing it was too low for anyone but Inuyasha, with his half demon hearing, to hear.

Inuyasha glanced at Kagome. What the hell was wrong with her?

_It's like I hurt her feelings, _he thought. _Keh. What do I care?_

He grinned. _Maybe it's cause I said she was ugly. _

"Jerk," he heard her mutter.

He glanced at her, eyebrows raised and golden eyes dangerous, but to his disappointment she wasn't looking at him. He took a good look at her. Yes, when he'd first seen her he'd thought she was cute, even after he got over the shock of the… resemblance. Yes, she _was_ cute… very cute… But there was no way he'd think like that now.

_Keh, _he thought. _She's still ugly however you think about it. Stupid chick._

But still, he found himself dwelling on her silence, on the way it almost seemed like he'd hurt her feelings, on the way she muttered "jerk" under her breath.

_Stupid, _he thought. _What the fuck do I care?_

He decided he would not care.

_But I'll start with that in five minutes._

The school was much, much bigger than I'd thought it would be.

I'm not really sure what I'd been expecting, but it wasn't this. An expansive array of parking lots, a huge green field, several gigantic buildings, a courtyard… our entire school grounds in Okinawa could have fit in the parking lot here.

"Wow, I'm so glad we have you guys to show us around," Rin breathed.

"Definitely," I agreed. "We'd probably end up spending the whole first day trying to find the door."

Sango laughed. "I wouldn't be surprised. So do you have your schedules?"

I laughed. "Hmm… I guess not. We have to go to the office, then."

"Nice planning." Sango smirked. Then she smiled. "I'll come."

"And we will accompany you lovely ladies," Miroku said, smiling.

"Oh no we won't," Inuyasha growled.

Sango rolled her eyes at them. "Scram, Miroku, Inuyasha."

"What? Why me?" Miroku asked, looking martyred.

"Well, if you won't let them come with you, could we?"

Sango, Rin, Inuyasha, Miroku, and I turned to see three boys coming our way. They were pretty good looking, lean and muscled, perhaps not as cool hair as Inuyasha's but right now anything that made them different from that idiot was a plus in my opinion. One of them appeared to be the leader of the group—he was the tallest, with long brown hair pulled back in a pony tail. I had to say, he was pretty cute, but it takes more than looks for me to like a guy. Precisely why I hate Inuyasha, because so far it seems like looks are the only thing he has.

When the boy stopped in front of me and I saw his pointed ears, I realized he was a demon.

"Hey Sango, 'Roku, mutt-face," the boy said cheerfully.

"Wolf shit," Inuyasha muttered.

"Hey Koga," Sango and Miroku said.

The boy turned to Rin and me. "So, cuties, what are your names?"

Inuyasha growled low in his throat. He wasn't sure why Koga flirting with the girls bothered him so much.

Actually, it was just one of the girls who he didn't want Koga near.

_Damn it what's wrong with me?_

He growled at himself. _It's just cause Koga's a son of a bitch, _he reasoned. _I wouldn't want him near anyone._

Rin and I blushed from embarrassment. Ever since we'd come to Tokyo, it seemed like we were getting way too much attention.

"Um… I'm Rin," Rin said shyly.

"And I'm Kagome. You're… Koga?" I asked uncertainly, but with less shyness than my sister. I hoped I wasn't making it sound like I was flirting—I didn't want to give Koga false hopes, if he were beginning to have hopes in the first place.

Inuyasha growled. "Could you be more of a slut?"

I hissed in anger. "Shut up!" I snapped, turning to him. "What's your problem?"

Koga took my hands in his, making me shift awkwardly. "Kagome, is the half-breed bothering you? I promise I will make sure he doesn't," he growled, winking at me.

Inuyasha stiffened—I wondered whether it was in response to the words _half breed. _

I promised myself I would find out about that reaction one day.

I gently separated our hands, trying not to be rude. "Oh, no," I said, forcing a smile. "He's just an idiot, don't worry about it."

A mean, hurtful, insulting idiot.

Koga grinned. "I think everyone knows _that_." He stepped back from me, smiled at Rin, and then waved goodbye to everyone. "Bye guys! Mutt."

"Bye Kagome!" one of the other boys who was with Koga said.

"Nice choice, boss! She's pretty," I heard the other one say as they walked away.

"Damn wolves," Inuyasha muttered when they were gone.

"Are they wolf demons?" I asked.

"He was pretty nice," Rin said quietly.

"Yes they are wolf demons, and no he's not nice he's just a flirty man-whore," Inuyasha muttered.

Rin looked a bit taken aback.

"Oh come on, did any of you _see _the way he was holding Kagome's hands?" Inuyasha demanded, disgusted. He smirked at me. "I would've thought _you _had noticed, seeing as you were practically _melting _in his fucking eyes…"

I glared, opening my mouth to protest, but Sango interrupted.

Sango smirked. "Is somebody jealous?"

Inuyasha snarled at her. "What are you, stupid? I just don't get what he sees in _her_."

Miroku grinned at Sango. "Hmm… maybe Inuyasha's jealous in a _different _way…"

Sango cackled. Inuyasha fumed.

"You bitches," he muttered.

Sango rolled her eyes at Miroku. "He'll never learn, will he?"

"Immature as always," Miroku said, sighing.

Sango smiled, and suddenly stiffened.

SLAP.

Miroku rubbed his throbbing cheek. "My hand is cursed, Sango!"

"After a while it's not just gonna be your hand that's cursed," Sango threatened.

Grinning despite ourselves, Rin and I exchanged a glance. This was going to be a weird year.

"Okay," Sango said as we headed out of the main office, schedules in hand. "What's your first class?"

"Um…" Rin and I looked at our schedules. "Math! For both of us!" We grinned at each other, momentarily forgetting that Sango was even there. Quickly we recovered. "What do you have?"

Sango grinned as well. "Math, too! Wait—which teacher?"

"Uh… Hosenki," I said. "Is he any good?"

Sango hesitated. "Uh… good news and bad news."

"Uh-oh," I said.

"Is he hard?" Rin asked anxiously. Math isn't her strong point—which is seriously weird, cause she's practically a genius with science stuff. I mean I hate math too, but she has more trouble with it than I do. The only time I ever feel like math is gonna kill me is when I miss a day of school when we do something important—the day I come back, I feel completely screwed over.

Sango nodded. "Hosenki's an ancient demon; he's worked here for at least a century. He's strict, moves fast, and gives lots of homework."

Rin and I moaned.

Sango smiled. "But, if you can get over all that stuff… he's pretty fair. And on the bright side," she said, "I have him too. So we'll have homeroom together!"

"Does that mean we'll be locker buddies?" Rin asked excitedly.

Sango stared at her—and cracked up.

"_Locker buddies?_" Sango repeated in disbelief.

Rin blushed. "Shut up," she said, grinning in embarrassment.

Sango rolled her eyes. "Sure, sure." She giggled. "Yes. We'll be locker buddies."

Rin squealed and hugged her.

Sango grimaced. "You're a hugger, aren't you?"

Rin grinned. "Big time, sorry. I can't help it."

I laughed. "Ha ha," I said, taunting Sango.

Rin turned to me. "Don't laugh yet, you're next."

About five minutes later, we had found our classroom and were sitting in three desks side by side each other.

"At least Hosenki doesn't assign seats," Sango said. "That's something."

Rin moaned. "I can just imagine what this class is gonna be like."

"Rin, don't worry. No matter how hard it is, Sango and I will help you," I assured her. _Unless, of course, we need help too, _I added mentally.

"Course," Sango agreed. "Rin, we've got your back."

Rin smiled gratefully at us.

The bell rang, and Hosenki got right down to business.

He took attendance, made a seating chart, and immediately gave us a few 'introductory' problems to solve, to see what we knew and how we could use logic. Some of it involved skills, but most of it was logic stuff—hard, but I could do it.

"Okay, students," Hosenki said. "Who can tell me the answer to question one, and explain how they went about solving it?"

Almost nobody raised their hands. Tentatively I put mine in the air. Sango stared at me in disbelief.

"Yes… ah…" Hosenki checked the seating chart. "Miss Higurashi!"

"It would be four and a half stars and two squares," I said.

Hosenki nodded impassively. "Correct, Higurashi."

I jumped when I realized he was waiting for my explanation. I gave it to him, rushing through it a little.

"Correct, in essentials. Now, however, there is an easier way to do it, which I'll explain to you…"

I stopped listening, a little pouty. My answer wasn't good enough for him? Fine, then.

Rin caught my mood and grinned at me. I grinned back.

When we were at question six, I raised my hand again.

"Yes, Higurashi?"

"Ah… the answer is 9 girls?"

"Question seven, Higurashi. We've passed question six."

I flushed, and a few of my classmates giggled. Sango made a slitting her throat motion with her thumb. I grimaced.

"Oh… right, sorry, sir… the sequence would be 1-4-2-9?"

Hosenki shook his head. "Keeping trying, Higurashi."

A few people chuckled.

"What? Um…" I looked at Sango, panicked. She shrugged, utterly clueless.

"It's 1-9-3-6," a boy said unexpectedly.

Hosenki, me, and the rest of the class looked at him.

"Yes, Mr. Hakudoshi, that is correct. Explanation?"

"Well, from the pattern we can deduce that it would be a synthesis equation, and therefore we have to subtract by the polar number and Rectify the center sum…"

My eyes widened, both at his explanation and at the boy himself. I found myself too absorbed in his appearance to listen to his words.

Hakudoshi leaned back casually in his chair, giving off a show of utter confidence and enough arrogance to feed a country. His skin was very pale, his eyes a cold, intelligent violet, and his hair fell in a spiky disarray just below his shoulders, the strangest shade I'd ever seen—it was a light lavender, so light that if you glanced at it, it would almost look white.

I jumped when he said my name.

"So, Higurashi," he said, smiling at me, "Your mistake was really not at all one you should be embarrassed about, because you came much closer to answering the question than any of your classmates who dared to laugh at you had."

"Kagome look down at the desk right now," Sango hissed.

Flustered, I did so.

"Rin, you too," she said, and Rin, jumping a little, directed her eyes toward the desk.

"Hakudoshi, you are correct as usual," Hosenki said, sounding faintly frustrated. "Takeda, you should be quiet and listen to what he has to say, seeing as, based on your performance last year, you could do to learn from him."

Some of the class snickered.

I glanced at Sango. "What is with that Hakudoshi kid? Is he a demon?" I whispered.

He made me feel very, very strange. And not in a good way.

Sango shook her head. "I don't think so. But he's not totally human either. He has… abilities."

"Takeda! Higurashi!" Hosenki scolded.

"Sorry, sir," Sango and I intoned.

Sango passed me a scrap of paper: _I'll explain later._

I nodded, crumpling it up and stuffing it in my pocket.

I looked at Rin, who looked very, very frightened.

_Are you okay? _I wrote on her notebook.

She nodded shakily. "That kid scares me," she whispered.

I nodded. "Yeah. Me too."

But there was one moment, just one, which was burned into my mind with terrifying clarity.

It was when Hakudoshi had smiled at me.

**A/N: And that's it! Hope you liked it! Thanks to keiko-kun and KiwiClover for reviewing (ahem… being the ONLY ones who have reviewed may I add… not that I'm angry or anything, he he…) Seriously, anybody who wants to review, feel free! Anonymous reviews are welcome too! **

**Thanks again for reading, all of you! **


	6. Conflict

**A/N: Hi! Here's chapter six! Read and review, people! **

Disclaimer: I don't, have never, and will never own Inuyasha. So I cry.

CHAPTER SIX: CONFLICT

The next class was art.

To my relief, Rin was in my class. We immediately sat next to each other, and, about five minutes into the period, Koga walked in. His eyes lit up when he saw me and he came to sit next to me.

"Hey Kagome," he said, smiling at me.

"Hey Koga," I said, also friendly.

He looked at my pitiful drawing and said immediately, "That's pretty good!"

I punched him playfully in the shoulder. "Nice try, wolf boy."

He grinned at me. "That hurts, chick, that really does."

"Don'tcall me chick."

"Okay Kagome, okay!" he protested, pretending to cower before my icy glare.

I grinned.

He grinned at me. "You like me, just admit it."

"I do not."

"But you do," Koga taunted, leaning his head on his hand, looking at me. "You can run, but you can't hide from me Kagome Higurashi."

I rolled my eyes. "Keep dreaming."

"I plan on it."

I laughed despite myself, a bit disgusted and a bit amused.

He just shook his head, smiling, and moved away to go flirt with two girls across the room.

"He really likes you," Rin whispered to me.

"Yeah, that's why he just walked off to flirt with some other girls," I said sarcastically.

"No, he really does! He flirts with a lot of people, sure, but he likes you more, I can tell. You should go for it," Rin said, smiling at me.

I sighed. "I don't know. I'm really not interested in getting back into the whole dating scene."

Not like I'd ever been _in _the dating scene.

And I didn't like Koga that way either.

Rin shrugged. "Okay," she said, not pushing me, which I was grateful for.

"I can't believe he likes you and you're just gonna pass him up," the girl now sitting next to me muttered. "I'd give anything to be you."

"Oh…" I said. "Do you like him?"

She nodded glumly. "I've had a major crush on him for three years. Love sucks."

"Big time," I agreed, although I'd never had any experience with love of any kind.

"I think it would be kind of nice," Rin said dreamily. "You know, to find that one person who you would give your life for."

"I wish Koga felt like that about me," she sighed.

"What's your name?" Rin asked.

"I'm Ayame. You?"

"I'm Rin."

"Kagome."

"So do you feel like that about Koga?" Rin asked in admiration.

"How could she, when he doesn't care back?" I asked.

We both looked to Ayame for an answer.

"Love is unconditional," Ayame said simply.

"And that means…?"

"Pretty much, I'm stuck with that idiot wolf until I die," Ayame said, sounding depressed.

"Okay you have to try to forget him," I said. I tried being warmer. "I'm sorry to be tactless. But doesn't it seem like it hurts more to think about him than you're gaining from it?"

"Believe me, I've spent ages arguing that with myself. But it's no use. There's no getting around it and there's no ignoring it. I'm stuck."

"Maybe you just need to find another guy," Rin suggested.

Wrong move, Rin.

Ayame moaned in apparent agony. "Even when I think about that I feel guilty! Rin, how could you say something like that? There's no one else for me except Koga!"

I now felt exceedingly guilty—as if it were _my _fault Koga liked me and not poor Ayame.

Which it totally isn't. Just for the record.

I have hopes that one day, Ayame and Koga will be together. But judging on the way he kept pestering me for my attention on the way to History, those hopes will remain hopes for a while now.

Tokyo sucks.

Since we all had the same next class—Rin and I had been lucky so far—Ayame, Koga, Rin, and I walked to History together. It was in the next building, so it would take a while to find, and Koga just _insisted _on walking me and Rin there. Ayame, cleverly taking advantage of our earlier conversation, proclaimed us her new friends and walked with us as well—next to Koga.

But Koga, it seemed, only had eyes for me.

"So, Kagome, you get tired of mutt-face yet?"

I laughed. "That idiot? We're barely friends, and I already hate his guts. I can't exactly get _tired _of him when I don't like him in the first place."

Koga laughed. "Good answer."

I grinned.

The more I thought about Inuyasha, the more frustrated and annoyed and hurt I became, so I racked my brain for a subject change.

Koga provided it.

"So are you and Rin new here in Tokyo?" Koga asked.

I nodded. "We got here two days ago."

"Wow. Where from?"

"Okinawa," Rin replied.

"Okinawa?" Koga and Ayame asked, intrigued.

"I went there for vacation once," Ayame said. "The beaches are beautiful!"

"Well, any place that could raise such stunning women would _have _to be beautiful," Koga said, grinning at us and winking again.

I was unsure what to say, and was about to respond when a rude voice interrupted my frantic searching for a response.

"Hey wolf, what the hell are you doing here?"

We turned to see Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku walking over toward us.

"Oh, hey San, Mir. Mutt. What the hell are _you _doing here?" Koga retorted.

"Going to class," Miroku said, knowing that Koga's last sentence was meant in an insulting way for Inuyasha, not him and Sango.

"Cool. Which class?"

"History, with Myoga."

"Same here," I realized.

A loud groan came from Inuyasha.

"What's wrong with you?" I demanded. "Is your stomach upset or something?"

He rolled his eyes. "You idiot. Not only do I have to put up with this pervert and his victim for an entire period—"

"I am not a victim!" Sango snapped.

"I am not a pervert!" Miroku said innocently.

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm not!"

"Yeah you are!"

"It's not my fault, I'm just—"

"_DON'T SAY YOU'RE CURSED MIROKU WATANABE!"_

"So not only do I have to deal with _this_," Inuyasha said irritably, "But now I have to put up with that wolf idiot _and _YOU."

"Well I only have a problem with one person here and it happens to be you," I said, smiling acidly.

"Good. Go make out with Koga."

"What the hell?"

Koga grinned at me, pretending to be hurt. "Am I really that repulsive to you Kagome?"

"What? No! No, of course you're not—ugh! I'm just—I don't—Argh!" I glared at Inuyasha, enraged. "Why are you doing this to me?!"

Inuyasha smirked. "Cause you hate it. Why else?"

I groaned, glared at Inuyasha, and then grabbed Koga's hand, smiling a little as the silver-haired half demon stiffened.

"Come on, Koga, let's go to class," I said, smiling at him and then giving Inuyasha a cold glare before turning away.

Koga grinned, shrugged, and put one arm around my waist. I didn't even flinch, and we walked the rest of the way to class like this, me and Koga in front, Ayame behind us, Miroku, Sango, and Rin behind them, and Inuyasha last, muttering something unintelligible.

"Koga! You're being used you know!" Miroku warned dramatically.

Koga looked at me.

I smiled guiltily. "A little, sorry."

After a moment of thought, Koga broke into a wide grin. "Hell, I don't care."

He pulled me closer to him. I smirked, wrapping my arm around his waist.

Anything to bug Inuyasha.

My first impression of Myoga, our teacher, was that he was an idiot.

For one thing, the guy was tiny—not helpful in making a respectable image. And I don't mean five feet tiny. I mean _infant _tiny. Yes, he was about the size of a fat baby with a particularly large head.

"Hello class, I am Mr. Myoga," he squeaked.

"What kind of demon are you?" one of the kids asked curiously.

"_He's _a demon?" a girl said skeptically, not bothering to keep her voice down.

Myoga bristled. "I happen to be from a very ancient race of demons, young woman!"

"Yeah? What kind of demons?" the girl sitting next to the girl who had spoken before asked, voice cruel and sharp, dark eyes wide with fake innocence.

He turned scarlet, and then finally said, "Flea demons."

The class burst into hysterics.

I took advantage of the momentary chaos to get a good look at the two girls who had spoken. One was a few inches shorter than me, with short black hair down to her chin and a red headband. She wore makeup, lipstick, and eyeshadow, and the neckline of her black leather shirt was _far _too low, let me tell you that. The girl next to her was not quite as publicly slutty, but still she wore more makeup than the average high school girl and her eyes glittered with cruelty. Her long black hair fell down to her lower back.

"Who are they?" I asked Sango.

Sango glanced at the two girls and grimaced. "Wow," she said, laughing darkly. "This really is a perfect class for me to point out the school bitches. They're both here, plus their whole posse. That," she pointed to the one with shorter hair and the low neckline, "Is Yura Nakamura. And next to her is Tsubaki Yamamoto. Yura's a demon and Tsubaki is… either a witch or an evil priestess, I'm not sure—but definitely a vindictive bitch. So watch out for them."

I nodded, taking her advice into account. Those two looked like the kind of people I would be avoiding even without the warning.

"Who are you talking about?" Miroku asked—he was sitting in front of us, with Inuyasha next to him.

"Yura and Tsubaki," Sango said, grimacing in distaste.

He smiled. "Ah, the leaders of the Bitch Club. Too bad, that beauty is going to waste…"

Sango whacked him upside the head.

"But Sango, I didn't even—"

"Save it."

"Okay class," Myoga said, fluttering up to stand on his desk. "Time to get started, erm—"

"Hey teach!" Koga called. "How do you get that big if you're a flea?"

"Flea demon!" Myoga hissed.

Koga just waited.

Myoga sighed, and then smiled, flying right over to his desk. Koga didn't back down, and I was amazed that Myoga didn't either.

"Well, generally, before class I suck up a lot of blood so I swell up to this size," Myoga said proudly.

Koga's nose wrinkled. "Mosquito."

"_Flea!_"

"I thought he was a flea demon," Miroku muttered, smiling.

"That too!" Myoga said, flustered, flying back to his desk.

Sango and Inuyasha grinned at Miroku and Koga—well, when Inuyasha's and Koga's glances met they just growled at each other. Rin and I exchanged a glance, and then gave up and smiled as well.

"Come on Kagome, you know it's funny," Koga said, smiling.

I rolled my eyes, still grinning.

When I focused my vision again, I caught Inuyasha looking at me. When he saw me looking he raised an eyebrow. I turned my head away in disdain. He grinned, also turning back around in his seat.

Rin was sitting on my other side. Ayame sat next to Sango. Behind us, Koga sat with the two other wolf demons we'd seen earlier, who I now knew were named Ginta and Hakkaku—and who, I was beginning to expect, were stuck to Koga like glue.

"Okay class!" Myoga squeaked, flying around the room, trying to get everyone's attention. "Now please, I know I may be small but I am your teacher so I would like it if you would respect me as such! Now would you all take your seats and—"

The door opened.

All eyes turned to it, and I stared at what I saw there.

He was very tall—lean, with subtle hints at solid muscles. He had a narrow chin and cold, golden eyes with which he now swept the room. His chair was long and silver, the same color as Inuyasha's, but longer and not quite as thick. His ears were not dog ears—they rested in almost the same position as human ears, but were too slanted and pointed to ever pass for human ears. On each of his cheeks were two purple lines, and a violet crescent-shaped mark rested on his forehead.

He bore a distinct resemblance to Inuyasha. But where Inuyasha was aggressive and irritating, this guy was cool and collected—and completely expressionless.

"Who is that?"

I was surprised that it was Rin who was speaking. I glanced at her—her eyes were locked on the man as he swept across the room.

"That, my friends," Miroku said smugly, "Would be Inuyasha's dear brother."

Inuyasha cuffed him upside the head. "Keh. That ass shares only _half _my blood, and no way in hell is he my brother."

I frowned at Sango in confusion.

"Before Inuyasha's father—a dog demon—married his mother, a human, he was married to a female dog demon," Sango explained. "That would be Sesshomaru's mother."

"And she's a total bitch, just like her son," Inuyasha said.

"Is he… nice?" Rin asked curiously.

Inuyasha spat on the floor.

"I guess not," Rin muttered, looking at her desk. But I caught her peek out of the corner of her eye at Sesshomaru as he glided to his seat.

"Um—Sesshomaru, you're late," Myoga said nervously.

Sesshomaru didn't even spare him a glance. Myoga didn't pester him.

"It's not like he's _cruel_, exactly," Miroku said, watching Sesshomaru as he took a seat, alone, at the back of the classroom. "He just doesn't like _people _in general. Humans especially, he looks down on."

Sango scoffed. "He makes it _very _clear that other people just aren't worth his time."

"Is he a full demon?" I asked.

Sango nodded. "And very, very powerful. He's a senior in human years, but I've got no idea how hold he really is."

"Keh," Inuyasha snorted. "That idiot's no more powerful than me, and you're obviously not afraid of me, so don't bother being scared of him."

Sango grinned at him. "Yeah, but you're too stupid for anybody to be afraid of you."

Inuyasha glared at her. "You wanna try that?"

Sango reached over and ruffled his hair. I watched almost enviously as she rubbed his ears.

Envy? What the heck is wrong with me?

"Don't. Touch. The. Ears!" Inuyasha snarled.

Sango grinned, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Damn chicks," he muttered, turning around.

"He doesn't act like much of a friend," I noted.

"Well who _would_, when their ears are being attacked!" Inuyasha defended himself.

I grinned at him. "Since when do you care what I have to say?"

"I don't," he said immediately. He glared at me. "You ugly bitch, you're so annoying."

I just looked at him, eyes cold. "My. Name. Is. _Kagome._"

"Mutt, stop being a jackass," Koga said from behind me. "Even if you hate her, the least you can do is call Kagome by her name."

I wasn't sure which part of what Koga said bothered me. But after analyzing it for the next ten minutes, I figured it out.

Did Inuyasha really hate me?

What did I do?

His own words echoed in his ears.

_You ugly bitch, you're so annoying._

Why did he keep saying stuff like that? Dammit, he was making himself out to be a total ass. He wasn't usually like this—except, of course, to his enemies. But why did he insist on making Kagome an enemy?

Yet he couldn't seem to _stop _being an ass.

"My. Name. Is. _Kagome_."

Inuyasha now looked at Kagome, wondering why, beneath all that fury, it almost seemed like there was hurt.

The period passed. Rin and I stood up. Sango, Inuyasha, and Miroku headed off without us, because they had a different class than we did. Koga, Ginta, and Hakkaku also left. Rin, as always, was one of the last to gather her books.

"You're so slow," I moaned.

"Shut up," Rin muttered. "There's nothing wrong with being slow."

Books in our arms, we headed for the door—this would be the first class we didn't have together. We stopped outside the classroom door.

"Are you sure you can find your room on your own?" I asked anxiously.

It was my job to take care of my sister, and if she wanted me to I would spend the whole day walking her to and from her classes.

Rin smiled at me, trying to hide her nervousness. "Don't worry, I'll be fine!" she said cheerfully.

"I could help you look for the room if you want," I told her.

"No, no, you shouldn't do that, you'd be late!" Rin protested. "I guess we'd better split up from here."

I nodded. "Yeah. Well, see you later."

Rin smiled, waving goodbye as I walked away.

Rin watched as Kagome disappeared into the crowded hallway, leaving her alone.

She sighed. Well, she had done the right thing, letting Kagome go. She knew her sister would follow her all day if Rin just said the word.

_Independence, _she thought. _I'm sixteen, I don't need a babysitter._

_ And I just left something in the classroom. Crap._

Rin flung open the door and rushed in to retrieve her notebook from her desk—only to crash into the hard chest of somebody who was very tall.

Rin squealed, her books crashing down to the floor. She looked up in terror, already gasping apologies.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, I'm such a klutz! Really! I do stuff like this all the time! I didn't mean to! I—" her babbling ceased as she realized who it was who was now holding her upright.

A pair of cold, golden eyes stared into hers.

"You should be more careful where you walk," he said softly, already holding her books out for her, impeccably stacked.

Rin stared for a moment, before remembering that he was probably waiting for a reply. She smiled nervously. "Um… thank you, I'm sorry for being of trouble."

She took the books from Sesshomaru's arms, went to her desk, grabbed the textbook she'd left, went back to the door, and then turned awkwardly, knowing she had to leave but not really wanting to. Suddenly, feeling a little braver, she turned around. "Um… where is your next class?" she asked shyly.

Sesshomaru was surprised that this girl actually asked him a question. He had thought she would just stutter her apologies and flee.

Rin watched him raise his eyebrows at her, and she quailed under his gaze. "Oh—um—sorry—never mind. Disregard anything I say."

She found herself blushing furiously. She wanted to kick herself.

"Advanced chemistry."

Rin gasped. "Oh, um… me too."

He was surprised at this girl—obviously, she was smarter than she had first appeared. "You take advanced chemistry?

Rin blushed a little. "Oh… um… yeah… nothing special… do you?"

_Do you? Really, Rin?_

Sesshomaru smirked. "I suppose."

She frowned. For some reason, she would have thought he would be the graduate-all-his-classes-in-freshman-year type.

"This is my second time in the class, though," Sesshomaru told her. "It really can become very dull."

Rin's eyes widened. "Why would you repeat it?" she asked, intrigued.

He shrugged. This girl was very odd indeed.

Rin took this as the best answer she would get.

"Oh… well… um… we should probably get going," she said quietly, gesturing for them to start walking.

_We? _Rin moaned internally. _Did I just say that? _

_ We… _Sesshomaru mused, cursing himself for liking the sound of that word.

Rin and Seshomaru started walking, Sesshomaru leading, Rin walking next to him. As embarrassed as she was, she was grateful that she had someone to help her find her class.

She hoped they had the same teacher.

Sesshomaru looked at her. Her face was very red—he assumed it was because of the many gawks and stares they were receiving from obnoxious students in the hall. He wanted to snarl at them. It would take so little effort to smash almost everyone in the hallway into their lockers… but that would upset the girl.

What did he care?

"What's your name?" he found himself asking.

"R-Rin," Rin whispered.

He smiled. "You sound afraid."

"What? Of course not! What's there to be afraid of?"

He smirked. "Me."

Rin looked up at him, and they made real eye contact for the first time. She frowned. Something in his golden eyes… rather than terrifying her, they calmed her.

Sesshomaru watched in amazement as Rin slowly relaxed. He arched one eyebrow. "You're not afraid of me, are you?"

Afraid? Of him?

_No, _Rin realized slowly. _I'm not afraid of him._

_ It's rejection I'm afraid of._

Rin shook her head. "No," she said simply.

Sesshomaru growled, making her shiver a little. It irritated him, that this girl could put that so boldly, could meet his eyes and tell her he didn't frighten her.

_He's not bad at all, _Rin thought in awe, before catching herself staring and quickly looking away. _From what they all said I thought he'd be the king of bullies and jerks, but he's actually… pretty nice._

_ She's interesting, _Sesshomaru thought. _But she's still a human. She's a silly human, as mundane as the rest of them. She is not interesting. She CANNOT be interesting._

"Renkotsu's classroom," Sesshomaru said shortly, stopping at a door, opening it, and walking in without a further glance at Rin.

Rin stared at him before glancing at her schedule. Yes, there it was—her teacher's name: Renkotsu. Lab 4B.

She opened the door hesitantly, glancing in. Just as she had expected, she was the youngest, smallest student here, and there were many raised eyebrows and mutterings amongst her classmates as she stood awkwardly in the door. She saw Sesshomaru sitting in the back, behind two intimidating looking demons.

She was too frightened to dare sit next to him.

_Why would I even consider it in the first place? _She demanded of herself, anguished. _He would just think I was clingy. We're not even friends._

She was surprised at how much these words bothered her.

Rin sat down in the second row from the front, in a seat as far away from the other students as possible.

Sesshomaru watched her as she entered the classroom, saw that momentary flicker of pain in her eyes—what had caused that, he wondered.

_I do not want to know. I do not care._

He had made sure he would not care. He could not have anything to do with this simple human girl. He had sat here in the back behind Hiten and Abi for the purpose of making sure the human girl did not come to sit next to him.

But as his strategy succeeded, as Rin went to sit in a seat towards the front, and as she did not even once during the lesson turn to give him the smallest glance, all Sesshomaru felt was frustration.

**A/N: HI! Thanks to all my readers! Please review, I don't care what you have to say. I welcome criticism (although hopefully you can put it tactfully). Long or short, complimentary or critical, I DON'T CARE! REVIEWWWWW PLEASE!**

**Thanks!**


	7. Why Boys Are Totally Freaking Crazy

**A/N: Hi! Sorry this update took longer than usual. I'm still not completely sure what my update pace is going to be, but it'll almost never be slower than once a week. Plus I've been really busy and stressed out about school and stuff. But I've finished my application for high school, the test, and my midterms, so now I'm free! Yay for me!**

**Disclaimer: But despite all this, I still don't own Inuyasha.**

CHAPTER SEVEN: WHY BOYS ARE TOTALLY FREAKING CRAZY

English was slow. The teacher, Ms. Koharu, was very nice, but she didn't have us do anything in class. I didn't know a single face in the class, and so I spent most of the time doodling, wishing _someone _was here.

_Well, at least Inuyasha hasn't shown his face, _I thought. Always stay positive.

After English was Society Mechanics, a class which I had my doubts about. Although I was interested to see what it would be like—we hadn't taken it in Okinawa—I really couldn't see how it could be anything other than a joke. A class designed to educate people on politics, national relationships, and demon-human integration, when those people are _teenagers? _This would be funny.

And it had to be better than health class, which I would have to endure next semester.

I was one of the first people there. The classroom—normal except that one half of the classroom was dominated by a half circle of podiums—was near empty except for one boy whom I didn't recognize. He was a good-looking guy: tall, tanned, long dark braid falling down his back. His eyes were a strange shade of indigo—bright yet deadly.

Very, very deadly.

Something about this guy made me know that he was someone I probably shouldn't get mixed up with. Maybe it was his eyes, maybe it was the tattoo on his arm, maybe it was the way he looked at me…

It made me want to take a seat at the opposite end of the room.

So, of course, the guy stood up and walked toward me.

I instinctively looked around. No one else was here. It was just us, alone in the room.

Shit.

"Hey," the boy said, waving at me. He smiled. It was a friendly but seductive smile which made me shiver, and not in a good way. His teeth were way too white.

He was just too… too _him._

"Hi," I said, smiling back at him, doing my best to maintain composure. He smirked briefly, seeing my effort.

"Chick, you're weird looking," he said flatly, stepping in front of me. We were just a few inches apart, too close.

I raised my eyebrows. What kind of a hello was that?

He grinned. "But you're really, really cute. What's your name?"

What the hell?

"Kagome," I said, trying to be casual and uninterested. "And yours?"

He grinned. "Don't see why you'd care about that."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't see why you'd not want to tell me."

"Touché."

I moved to go to my seat, but he blocked me. "Don't you want to know my name?" he asked innocently, smiling at me with black eyebrows raised.

No, I didn't. Not really, now that I came to think about it.

"Uh, not really," I said nervously. I moved again, but this time he put a hand on my shoulder to stop me.

I knew I wasn't going anywhere.

"You _did _ask," he murmured, pushing me backward.

"Please let go of me," I said flatly.

He grinned. "Come on, you think I'm gonna hurt you?"

I glared at him.

"Do I scare you, Kagome?"

I shuddered as my name rolled of his tongue.

"Look, I told you my name now you tell me yours, and then let go and don't touch me ever again," I ordered, glaring.

He grinned. "Feisty. I like that."

Now I raised my hands and pushed against his chest, but he just reached up and grabbed both my wrists in his hands.

_Oh god oh god oh god…_

What could I do? Run? Fight? Kick? Scream?

Would he really hurt me?

He leered at me, grinning, leaning closer, backing me against a wall. He pinned my wrists above my head with one hand, pressing closer.

"Get the hell away from me," I hissed.

"Oh come on Kagome," he teased.

"Don't call me Kagome."

"Isn't that your name?"

"Stop it."

"You're interesting looking."

"Stop."

"Shrine keeper, right?"

"What?"

He smiled. Now he had my attention.

"Yeah, you are. You're new. I'd know if I'd seen you before. So, you work at Jewel Shrine, right?"

"Um…"

For some reason, telling him anything about myself made me uncomfortable.

"Kagome Higurashi…" he purred.

"How…?"

"I knew your name before you told me," he whispered in my ear, leaning close again, our faces inches apart.

I just stared at him, transfixed, unable to look away from his eyes.

"Well, how could I not know the name of my next target?" he asked, grinning menacingly at me.

He put a hand on my cheek, leaning in closer.

_Somebody… somebody help me before he hurts me… somebody help me before he kills me…_

"Kagome Higurashi, tell me you have better taste in boyfriends than this fool," a cool voice said.

The boy and I whipped our heads to the side to realize that somebody was standing just inches away from us.

I gasped, shrinking away from the violet eyes that burned into mine.

"Hakudoshi what are you doing here?" the boy asked, taking his hands off me and turning to glare at Hakudoshi.

Hakudoshi didn't even spare him a glance. "Just doing what I have to," he said silkily. He smiled icily, and although he was looking at me I wasn't sure which of us this menacing smirk was meant for. "Have you been bothering Miss Higurashi, Bankotsu?"

Bankotsu.

Bankotsu grimaced. "You know you shouldn't interfere."

"I know what I'm doing, idiot," Hakudoshi said softly, still staring into my eyes. "I hope you do too."

Bankotsu scoffed, pulled away, and winked at me. "See you later, Kagome," he said, waving over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Ha-Hakudoshi…" I whispered. "Um… thanks."

He smiled at me. But even as it reached his eyes, those violet orbs remained cold. "No problem, Higurashi. It's the least I can do." His smile darkened. "I couldn't let him hurt you, could I?"

"Oh… um… I…" I didn't want to say that he could have done just that, so instead I sufficed with, "Thank you, Hakudoshi."

How's that for composure?

He gently took one of my hands in his cold grasp. "Don't worry about it, Kagome," he whispered, bringing it to his lips to kiss it. He looked up at me. "May I call you that?"

Because he asked, I just replied, "Sure."

Hakudoshi was a lot shorter than Bankotsu—in fact, he was about my height. Yet something about him intimidated me as much, if not more, than Bankotsu did.

Yet something else held me spellbound.

He smirked at me. And then said, "You're really pretty, Kagome. There are lots of guys out there who would do anything to have you." He pulled back an inch to look at me, eyes deadly serious. "Don't let them."

His hand was on the wall next to my head. His stance seemed casual, but anybody who looked close enough—or who was gifted enough—would know instantly that there was more to it.

I sucked in a breath, wishing desperately that I could tear my gaze away from his eyes but not really wanting to…

"What the hell are you doing to her?" a furious voice hissed.

Hakudoshi's eyes narrowed to deadly slits, and as his gaze left mine I breathed a sigh of relief. After I caught my breath, I turned to look at the person whose interruption had seemed to enrage Hakudoshi so much.

Holy crap.

_Oh god what is _he _doing here?!_

Inuyasha Takahashi was now holding Hakudoshi against the wall, feet dangling a foot off the air, shirt collar fisted in Inuyasha's clawed hand. But Hakudoshi was eerily calm. He just stared at Inuyasha in pity, shaking his head, smirking. And then he did something which would haunt my dreams for the rest of my life.

He laughed.

I stared at him, my eyes wide, as he laughed in Inuyasha's face. Sango and Miroku, as well as two other students who were entering the class, looked on, stunned and excited.

"Bet you five bucks Hakudoshi kicks Inuyasha's ass," Miroku muttered to Sango, grinning.

To all our surprise, Inuyasha seemed too absorbed to object to this.

"Deal," Sango said after a moment of thought. "Bet you ten Inuyasha can't give us a decent explanation for why the hell he's interfering at all."

"Easy, I'll take that bet," Miroku said calmly.

"What?" Sango asked, seeming confused.

Miroku sighed. "My dear Sango, the girl who is cowering against the wall in terror happens to be Kagome."

Sango gasped, panicked, and then grinned. She said confidently, "Great! Then I'm definitely gonna win!"

The class waited, breathless. Everyone in the room now had their eyes turned to the door.

"Hakudoshi," Inuyasha growled. "You're gonna tell me why you were pressing her to the wall like that and you're gonna tell me right now you fucker."

A collective gasp came from our audience.

Yes, _our _audience, because I had a distinct feeling that I was sharing the spotlight.

But Hakudoshi just smiled at him. "Inuyasha, no matter how many times you fling feeble words at me, I suppose you just can't learn that it doesn't bother me in the least."

At that moment, Rin stumbled into the room, instantly finding me, Inuyasha, and Hakudoshi. Her eyes shouted: _What the heck?_

"Yeah? Would it bother you if I flung my fists instead?"

"I don't think I was doing anything wrong," Hakudoshi said softly, no longer smiling. "Actually, if you asked Kagome over there…"

Inuyasha hissed. "Don't call her _Kagome_, you jackass. Who are you to be so familiar with her?"

"Who are you to care?"

Inuyasha stiffened. "Uh—I—I don't care! Hell, I don't give a damn about that bitch!"

Hakudoshi smirked. "Really? Cause that's not what it seems like to me, half-breed."

Inuyasha's eyes widened with fury. "You're in for it now, freak," he spat, lifting Hakudoshi higher and slamming him into the wall.

What do I do? I didn't particularly like Hakudoshi, but for whatever reason, he _had _saved me from Bankotsu. I couldn't let Inuyasha hurt him. Besides… it wasn't like Hakudoshi had been going to hurt me… right?

"Inuyasha put him down," I whispered, ashamed of the weakness of my voice.

"Stay out of this, Kagome," Inuyasha muttered.

Kagome.

He said my name. And my heart swelled at it.

And I hated it.

"Inuyasha, he didn't do anything to me," I said, voice a little stronger.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at me, voice scathing. "So, what are you guys? An item? Cause far as I can tell, he was practically _kissing _you there. Didn't know you were that kind of slut, you bitch."

"I thought you thought I couldn't be more of one!" I retorted furiously, straightening up.

Inuyasha dropped Hakudoshi, taking a step toward me. "What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded.

He didn't even remember.

"Never mind," I muttered. "Look, nothing happened between me and Hakudoshi. Nothing was gonna happen. So just… let's let all this drop, okay?"

Inuyasha glared at me. I straightened, glaring back.

_Why did he protect me in the first place? _

"Could someone explain to me what this is?" a cool voice asked.

I stared in complete paralysis at the tall person behind Inuyasha—seeing the two half brothers together had an odd, surreal quality, because it really drew out the similarities between them—and the differences.

With Inuyasha and Sesshomaru standing together, it was like night and day. Now _there's _something I thought I'd never compare Inuyasha to. But I couldn't help it; with his icy, formidable, frightening brother towering over him, Inuyasha looked almost tame.

That is until flying out of his mouth came, "You fucker, what the hell are you doing here?"

Sesshomaru raised his eyebrows. "I am keeping you out of trouble, worthless half-breed," he said, voice layered with disdain. "It is your first day in tenth grade and already you are fighting with…" he glanced at me, and then at Hakudoshi. "A human girl and a Darkchild."

I shivered under his disdainful glance. But I shivered even more when he turned it to his younger brother—it was a glare of utter loathing.

What would it be like, every time I looked at Sota, for him to glare at me and tell me I was worthless, I was filthy? What would it be like for him, if every time he tried to talk to me, I told him he wasn't worth my time?

_That's really sad, _I realized, surprised that I was beginning to feel sorry for Inuyasha.

I hadn't noticed how quiet the room had gotten at the mention of one particular word Sesshomaru had uttered just then. I hadn't even noticed the word—because if I had, I would not be dwelling on Inuyasha's tragic relationship with his older brother.

Even I knew something about that word.

"Bastard, mind your own business," Inuyasha snapped, and then turned his chin upward to spit in Sesshomaru's face.

Sesshomaru glared at him, before suddenly hurling Inuyasha to the side. Inuyasha slammed into the wall, crumpling to the floor, before leaping to his feet.

"You wanna fight?" he hissed.

Sesshomaru snorted. "Of course not, mongrel. Do you have no control over your emotions?"

"I'll show you _control _you jackass!" Inuyasha shouted, crouching.

Sesshomaru was nonplussed. He didn't even look at him. In fact, he turned his back on Inuyasha and walked calmly toward his desk.

"Look at me, Sesshomaru, you coward!"

"Inuyasha, I believe it is you who is the coward," Sesshomaru said coolly, not even sparing him a glance.

Inuyasha began to charge.

"Leave him alone!" A small voice screamed from the crowd. "He's just looking out for you!"

All eyes turned to the small, petrified girl who was now standing between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. I realized with horror that this girl was Rin.

_Rin? What the hell?_

I glanced at Sango and Miroku in panic. They just shrugged, as surprised as I was.

I cringed, seeing Rin's expression of terror. Rin has an intense fear of attention. She can't handle it. She can't be in plays, she can barely present projects in front of the class… and by now, every student in the class had arrived—and they were all staring at her.

Poor Rin.

Sesshomaru stopped walking. Slowly, very slowly, _agonizingly _slowly he turned around. "Rin, step aside."

The entire class gawked at Sesshomaru.

_Sesshomaru? Talking to… Rin? _

I saw a light rosy tint appear on Rin's cheeks.

"Get the hell out of the way, kid," Inuyasha hissed.

"_Kid? _I'm Kagome's sister!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I know that, idiot! Now get out of the way before I tear you out of the way!"

"Don't you dare hurt her!" I screeched, stepping forward.

Inuyasha glared at me. "What is your problem? Can't you stay out of trouble for one freaking second?"

"Inuyasha, if you either physically or emotionally harm the girl I will personally see to your demise," Sesshomaru threatened very quietly, still sounding casual.

Inuyasha grinned. "Why do you care?"

"I don't," Sesshomaru said simply, and turned to sit down.

"What's going on here?" an old voice asked.

Everyone turned to see our teacher—Hakushin-sama, who I had heard was a retired monk—coming in through the door.

He looked around. "Why is nobody in their seat? Is everyone okay? What happened? Nobody is hurt, I presume?"

"Course not, what do you think we are, convicts?" Inuyasha scoffed.

"No. But you do happen to be _teenagers_," Hakushin said, to the amusement of the class.

"Teenagers, as you all know, have a habit of being emotional, hormonal, violent, reckless barbarians," Hakushin said—but he was smiling. "Which is why we have to work to teach you how to create a harmonious society while you are young. That is the purpose of Society Mechanics. Now please, the first lesson of the day: listening and organization. If everyone would please take their seats."

He glanced pointedly at the rows of desks, and slowly, the class wandered to their seats.

Rin and I immediately found our way to each other. We joined Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha (I still had yet to see what Sango saw in Inuyasha as a friend, because as far as I could tell he was a jerky, arrogant idiot), and the five of us found seats in the middle of the array of desks. Bankotsu and Hakudoshi, to my relief, took seats a good distance away from me. Bankotsu was in the back—a place in which I intuited he spent a good deal of time during school. Hakudoshi, to my surprise, sat next to him. In fact, the more I watched, the more I felt that they were connected somehow—maybe even friends? No, I didn't really sense that kind of relationship. It was more like… acquaintances? Family friends? Allies? Coworkers? Accomplices?

The more I thought about it, the stranger it became.

Suddenly I realized that Rin, sitting silently next to me, seemed a little sad.

"What's wrong?"

She smiled at me. "Oh, nothing. I'm just being stupid."

But I saw where she looked.

Sesshomaru couldn't be good for her. I wasn't sure what she saw in him, but… but… from all I'd seen, he seemed cold and dangerous and incapable of having the slightest _idea _of compassion.

Not right for Rin at all.

"Rin…" I said slowly.

"I know what you're gonna say," Rin muttered. "That I was dumb, I shouldn't have meddled, it's none of my business."

I was a little taken aback at how upset she was.

"No, that's not what I was gonna say," I said kindly. "I think what you did was really brave." I took her hand in one of mine to console her.

"Keh," Inuyasha muttered. "Whether it was _brave _or not, it was dumb. Why would you get involved with stuff that's got nothing to do with you?"

Rin didn't meet his eyes.

"Shut up, Inuyasha," Sango said. She smiled hesitantly at Rin. "What Kagome is trying to say, Rin, is that… we're looking out for you. And we really don't think that Sesshomaru is the right guy for you."

Rin's face went tomato red. "Wh-what? No! I don't—I mean I wasn't—I—I don't have feelings for Sesshomaru! It's not like—it's just—I don't like seeing people fight!"

_We really don't think Sesshomaru is the right guy for you. _Rin heard their words echoing in her head. _We're looking out for you. _

Almost as painful was hearing her _own _words resonating in her head, pitiful and transparent.

_They're right, _Rin thought sadly. _They must be right, right? How could a guy like Sesshomaru ever care for a girl like me?_

_ I have to stop caring for him. Otherwise it'll just hurt me later._

But stopping caring now was hurting her more.

"Rin, it's okay that you like him," I said compassionately. "But Sesshomaru isn't… I don't know what you think he is, but he isn't that kind of guy."

Rin looked mortified.

"Rin, even if Sesshomaru did for some twisted freaky reason start liking you, he could never _really _like you. He might like you for how you look or the way you smell or the way you talk or the way you make him feel, but Sesshomaru is just too much of a jackass to really care for someone," Inuyasha said bluntly.

Rin looked at the desk, hands balled into fists.

"Cheer up, Rinny," Miroku said, playfully punching Rin on the shoulder. "There are lots of other nicer, cooler, smarter, sexier guys out there for you."

He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.

Unfortunately for him, I caught this. And even more unfortunately, _Sango _caught it.

"You perv!" Sango hissed, punching him in the head. "You flirt with Kagome's sister _and _grope my ass at the same time?"

"Not cool, 'Roku," Inuyasha said, shaking his head in disgust.

"I am so sorry, Sango!" Miroku pleaded. "I just couldn't resist. Your flesh calls to me…"

"I thought your hand was cursed," Sango growled.

"That too," Miroku said meekly.

I laughed, relieved that his attentions were still primarily directed towards Sango.

Sango had went bright red, and I did feel bad for her. She looked furious—I didn't blame her. I would've hit Miroku, too.

Sometimes I wonder why it's mainly _her _that Miroku likes to grope the most. Sometimes I also wonder why she doesn't beat him up worse.

And sometimes I wonder why I always manage to make friends with the psychos, but oh well. Some questions are not meant to be answered.

Even though he found a seat a distance away from her, still Sesshomaru couldn't help but listen. With his demon hearing, it was all too easy.

"I know what you're gonna say," Rin muttered. "That I was dumb, I shouldn't have meddled, it's none of my business."

The pain, hurt, and anger in her voice surprised him.

_Why does she make me feel as if I have done something wrong? _Sesshomaru thought angrily.

"No, that's not what I was gonna say," Kagome said. "I think what you did was really brave."

_The girl is lucky she has a sister like that to take care of her, _Sesshomaru thought.

He glanced at Kagome out of the corner of his eye. The girl was looking at Rin with a kind expression, holding her sister's hand in comfort. Now she rubbed circles into Rin's palm.

He wondered what it would feel like to be in Kagome's place, tracing her sister's soft skin in delicate circles. What would her fragile hand feel like under his claws? What would it feel like to put his arm around her shoulder, to comfort her, to have her lean her head against his neck… to inhale the delicate perfume aroma which wafted off of her hair, that unforgettable scent which had first taken his breath away as she collided with him while he was leaving history class.

_You fool, _Sesshomaru hissed coldly to himself. _Such thoughts cannot and will not be. _

"Keh," Inuyasha muttered. "Whether it was _brave _or not, it was dumb. Why would you get involved with stuff that's got nothing to do with you?"

Just like his idiot of a half-breed brother, to callously insult someone without even realizing how he hurt them.

Sesshomaru wanted to hurt Inuyasha for that comment. Well, he wanted to hurt Inuyasha a great deal of the time. But this feeling was different.

"Shut up, Inuyasha," Sango said. He saw her, also, smile at Rin. She was another good friend, another lucky girl who Rin was lucky to have—another person who Sesshomaru could never be. "What Kagome is trying to say, Rin, is that… we're looking out for you. And we really don't think that Sesshomaru is the right guy for you."

_We're looking out for you. Sesshomaru's not the right guy for you._

These words enraged him, and it surprised him, because, of course, they were true to the core.

Never could Sesshomaru, a heartless, full-blooded demon, be with a warm, fragile, loving human girl like Rin.

He watched as Rin's face became bright red, and wondered vaguely whether she was in pain and what he could do to help her. "Wh-what? No! I don't—I mean I wasn't—I—I don't have feelings for Sesshomaru! It's not like—it's just—I don't like seeing people fight!"

Yes, that sounded like something she wouldn't like.

_I don't have feelings for Sesshomaru._

Those six words echoed in his head.

_I don't have feelings for Sesshomaru._

Taunting him.

_I don't have..._

_ Fuck it, _he thought, surprised at his swearing. He hardly ever swore—not because he thought it was impolite, but because he didn't see the point. _It does not matter anyway. Why should it matter? I do not have feelings for Rin, she does not have feelings for me. This Sesshomaru does not care for humans._

But still, he found himself watching her.

"Rin, it's okay that you like him," Kagome assured her. "But Sesshomaru isn't… I don't know what you think he is, but he isn't that kind of guy."

What _did _Rin think he was?

It horrified him to realize she might have been formulating some outrageous conclusions such as that he was… _kind_.

He shuddered.

But he was shocked, because Rin's expression at what Kagome said spoke utter heartbreak.

"Rin, even if Sesshomaru did for some twisted freaky reason start liking you, he could never _really _like you. He might like you for how you look or the way you smell or the way you talk or the way you make him feel, but Sesshomaru is just too much of a jackass to really care for someone," Inuyasha said crudely.

_Bastard, _Sesshomaru thought. _That half-breed gets stupider and stupider with every passing year. It is shameful that I am in any way related to him._

"Cheer up, Rinny," Miroku said, punching Rin on the shoulder. _Rinny? _"There are lots of other nicer, cooler, smarter, sexier guys out there for you."

Sesshomaru almost hissed in disgust as the lecherous boy waggled his eyebrows at her.

_How DARE you flirt with my Rin?!_

My Rin?

His Rin?

Where had _that_ come from?

_It came from nowhere, _Sesshomaru assured himself, calming down. _There is nothing. There never will be anything. That disgusting human could KISS Rin, and I could not care less._

But still, it did not explain why Sesshomaru wanted to rip the teenage lecher from limb to limb.

As Sesshomaru watched the chaos between the immature Sango and the perverted Miroku ensue, however, he noticed that Rin began to brighten a little—just a little, but as her pain seemed to lift the slightest bit, as she smiled just a little, it felt like the sun was rising in Sesshomaru's mind for the very first time.

Perhaps the dismemberment could wait.

**A/N: HIII! Thanks to keiko-kun, KiwiClover, and Lia for the reviews! Keep reviewing, guys! And anybody else, feel free! Well… not totally free, he he… not that I'll stalk you or anything if you DON'T review… I mean, it's not like I have a friend who knows how to stalk people over the internet and find out where they live… **

**But anyway, read and review! **


	8. People and Pasts

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

CHAPTER EIGHT: PEOPLE AND PASTS

As odd as those interactions between Sango and Miroku were, they can be pretty entertaining. And now Rin was looking just a little happier, so… I guess I'll have to thank Miroku later for being such a pervert.

Now _that_ is an example of a sentence which I had neverexpected to think.

Hakushin gave us a brief introduction to what Society Mechanics would be like, which for the most part none of us listened to. He did mention that he would be giving us some kind of "role assignments" next week, so I figured I could wait till then to worry about that. To the class's excitement, the rest of the period was left free.

"Kagome Higurashi, you're going to spill and you're going to spill _now_," Sango said, to my terror. She, Rin, and Miroku leaned hungrily toward me. I thought I saw Inuyasha snort and turn his head away.

"Wait—what? What did I do?" I stuttered, leaning away, remembering what Sango had said about cannibalism and Mondays.

Sango rolled her eyes, and then pleaded, "Come on, don't play innocent! Why were you with Hakudoshi like that?"

"Oh," I said, shivering a little. I smirked to myself. "That really _did _piss Inuyasha off."

"He can hear you, you know," Miroku told me.

I grinned. "I'm a shrine keeper, Miroku. I know perfectly well he can hear me."

"Hell, I'm not listening, you idiots," Inuyasha scoffed.

Sango and Rin giggled. Miroku and I smirked.

"He's so listening," Sango whispered.

"Definitely," Rin agreed.

"But we all know Inuyasha's stupid," Sango said, smiling. Then she glared at me. "On to more _important _matters."

Three pairs of eyebrows were raised.

I sighed. "It's not what you think."

"How could we possibly be thinking anything?" Miroku asked, confused.

I rolled my eyes. "Look, do you guys know Bankotsu?"

They exchanged a glance. "Yeah, he's a senior," Sango finally said. "He's involved with all kinds of bad stuff."

I nodded. "I guessed as much. Well… when I came into the room, he was the only one there. He just got up and walked over to me. And then he kept talking to me. When I tried to move around him, he blocked me. I… I was scared. He kept backing me up until he had me pinned against the wall, and he pinned my hands above my head so I couldn't move, and I…" I looked down. "I was really freaked out. He knew me. He knew all about me. He kept leaning closer, whispering to me. I really thought he was gonna hurt me. And then… he put his hand on my cheek…" I shuddered.

"That little dipshit," Inuyasha swore suddenly, whirling around in his seat.

"Inuyasha what the hell are you doing?" Sango hissed.

"Sit down, before you get yourself hurt," Miroku said calmly.

"I'll kill him," he muttered.

Rin smiled at me. "See? He doesn't really hate you."

"What? Of course I hate her!"

Rin grinned angelically at him. "You're really an idiot, aren't you?"

"WHAT?!"

Sango and Miroku grabbed Inuyasha's hands and brought him down on his chair, hard. He growled, glaring at them.

"Don't make a scene," Sango ordered.

"Keh. Wasn't gonna anyway," he muttered.

Sango rolled her eyes. Then she looked at me. "Go on, I think Inuyasha will start having a seizure if you don't tell us the rest of the story."

Inuyasha glared at her, about to object, but she clapped a hand over his mouth, not even looking at him.

"Um, so, then Hakudoshi—wait. Bankotsu said something to me," I said, suddenly frowning. "He said that… why wouldn't he know about his target. That's what he said. He called me his target."

Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha exchanged a glance.

Rin looked from me to them, frightened. Then, hesitantly, she asked, "Who is Bankotsu?"

We all gestured to Bankotsu, sitting in the back with Hakudoshi. He and Hakudoshi seemed to be discussing something—arguing in low voices.

Rin shivered. "He looks scary," she said, quickly turning away from him.

"Keh. He's a human, he's not scary," Inuyasha muttered. "Just has a lot of weapons."

"Weapons?" Rin and I squeaked.

Sango nodded. "He likes close-range fighting—especially with halberds. He brags about his halberd all the time. Says it's huge."

"I don't give a shit how big his halberd is. I'll kill him," Inuyasha growled.

"Calm yourself," Miroku chided, wagging his finger at Inuyasha. "Bad boy. Sit."

Inuyasha's golden gaze suddenly became deadly.

"Okay, that's my cue to look away," Miroku said quickly.

Inuyasha smirked. "Good choice, lech."

"What does him calling me his target mean?" I asked.

Sango shrugged. "I've got no idea. Just stay away from him, on a general basis. So what happened then? You mentioned Hakudoshi."

I nodded. "Yeah, he kind of just… appeared. I hadn't even noticed him come in, and suddenly he was _there_. Right next to us, inches away. He started arguing with Bankotsu, but he was looking at me the whole time. He got Bankotsu to go away. I _think _he saved me," I said, still a little confused about the whole thing.

"Well, that's creepy," Sango stated.

Miroku nodded. "Extremely."

"So then… he was standing with me. He wasn't touching me or pinning me to the wall like Bankotsu, but there was something about him… I felt like I couldn't move from the spot. I was almost paralyzed, I felt helpless." I shuddered as I remembered the feeling, as I recalled the look in those wintry, depthless violet eyes.

"Poor Kagome," Miroku said, shaking his head.

Sango grimaced. "If Hakudoshi and Bankotsu have picked you out for something, you'd better get moving on that spiritual powers training."

I fiddled nervously with my skirt. "But… don't spiritual powers only work against demons?"

"You have spiritual powers?" Miroku and Inuyasha asked—although the surprise in Inuyasha's voice was layered with insulting skepticism.

Sango grinned. "Not only does she have spiritual powers, but she can hold the Orb of Night."

Miroku's eyebrows raised. Inuyasha, for some reason, stiffened.

"Well," Miroku said, grinning, "We'll just have to see that for ourselves."

I grimaced at Sango. "I thought I wasn't supposed to tell lots of people."

Sango shrugged. "You can trust them—even if one of them's an idiot and the other's a pervert."

"Sango, you are so very cruel," Miroku said, shaking his head and sighing.

Sango grinned. "Maybe I'd be less cruel if you'd stop touching my butt, but we both know that isn't happening so you'll just have to deal with it."

Miroku smiled hopefully at her. Sango hit him.

We laughed.

Miroku grimaced at Inuyasha. "Snap out of it, Yash."

Inuyasha blinked, and seemed to emerge from whatever reverie he'd entered at the mention of the Orb of Night. As he awakened, his eyes landed on me, and I saw him frown, shaking his head roughly.

Sango and Miroku looked from him to me and exchanged a glance.

I frowned. "Am I missing something here?"

"Ain't none of your business, chick," Inuyasha muttered.

"_KAGOME!_"

"Whatever. Chick."

I grimaced in frustration.

"You called me Kagome before, you idiot! That couldn't have been too hard. Why'd you stop?" I moaned.

It was true. He had, that one time, called me Kagome, as he told me not to interfere with his quarrel with Hakudoshi.

It had been the one time he'd spoken directly to me without the intention of hurting or irritating me.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Inuyasha!"

"Shut it."

"Well," Miroku said smugly, "I have a topic which might interest you, Inuyasha."

"Yeah?" he said aggressively. "What's that?"

"Possible ways to get Hakudoshi expelled, perhaps?" Miroku said mischievously.

Inuyasha groaned. "Oh god, not that again. If this is the one about pushing somebody off a cliff and saying—"

"No! It's different!" Miroku said. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow wearily at him. "Really!" Miroku said defensively.

Inuyasha snorted. "Whatever. Go ahead, tell me your new plan. What are we up to, like 429?"

"That depends, is this just Hakudoshi or does that refer to everyone we've tried to—"

"JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP AND START EXPLAINING!"

"You shouldn't talk like that to your friends," Rin said very quietly.

Inuyasha turned to gape at her—but for once, he had nothing to counter that with.

Finally he just shook his head, a little amused, and turned to listen to Miroku.

"So," Miroku said, seeming excited, "You guys all heard what Sesshomaru said, right? About Hakudoshi being a Darkchild?"

"Sesshomaru said _what?_" Inuyasha and I choked out.

Even I knew what a Darkchild was.

I really shouldn't say "even," I suppose. For a human who has never lived in a society which was demon-human-integrated before now, I am fairly informed about demons and the other species besides humans. Perhaps not their way of life, but definitely their types, abilities, and weaknesses. I don't have the most details of anyone, but I know a good amount.

I know enough to know that if Hakudoshi is a Darkchild, I must avoid him at all costs.

Darkchildren are known throughout the world as a kind of separate entity, different from demons and different from humans. They are manipulative, ambiguous, and… most of all… almost entrancing. That's what I've heard, at least. I have heard that just looking into their eyes can cause you to feel as if you were falling into them, to make you not only not able to move but sometimes to make you not actually _want _to move, even as you are paralyzed with fear.

Most Darkchildren tend to be evil by nature. They are very, very rare, and are not welcome in most communities. Darkchildren are feared even more than demons by some people because they have a power which no demon, priestess, or normal human can ever have—they have power over the soul. This ability manifests differently in different Darkchildren. But when they use that power… for the victim, it is terrifying and usually not an experience they recover from. After the ability is used, even if the Darkchild doesn't actually kill the person, the person's soul is often broken forever.

So far, Hakudoshi fit all the descriptions of a Darkchild which I had heard.

Sango frowned at Inuyasha and me. "You guys seriously didn't hear Sesshomaru say Hakudoshi was a Darkchild?" She smirked at Miroku. "I guess they were both wrapped up in their own lives, huh?"

I rolled my eyes. Inuyasha glared.

Finally Inuyasha said, "Look, seeing as it's Sesshomaru I don't think we need to put that much weight on it."

Rin frowned at him. "How can you say that? Sure, you and Sesshomaru might not get along well, but… it's obvious that he's really smart." She blushed a little. Sango sighed. I glanced at Sesshomaru. He wasn't looking at us.

So why did I get the feeling that he was listening?

"Look, whether he's a Darkchild or not, you should stay away from him, Kagome," Sango said seriously. "And Bankotsu too. Both of them."

I snorted. "I think I had figured that out by myself."

Sango grinned. "Good, cause otherwise you'd be as much of an idiot as Inuyasha says he thinks you are."

Inuyasha and I glared at her, not fully processing what she had said.

I stared determinedly straight ahead, refusing to look at him, refusing to let him realize how much his pointed dislike frustrated me.

What did I ever do to him? I mean, sure, I'd called him some names after we'd bumped into each other on the street that first time, but that was because he'd been a jerk to me first.

Actually, he'd said that I was cute, too. How that had morphed into "ugly bitch," I have no idea.

I don't care. Why should I care?

WHY THE HELL DO I CARE?!

"Earth to Kagome," Sango said, waving a hand in front of my face.

"What? What happened?" I stuttered, wrenched out of my thoughts.

Rin grinned at me. "Where have you been for the past two minutes?"

"I would guess right here with you guys…" I muttered.

They laughed, rolling their eyes.

"Let's look at our classes!" Rin said excitedly as the bell rang.

"Keh. C'mon, Miroku, let's go," Inuyasha said, grabbing Miroku by the arm.

"Ahem. Actually, I would prefer to stay and wait for the ladies. After all, unlike you, I am a gentleman."

"A perverted ass-groping gentleman, if that's what you mean," Sango snickered.

Rin and I grinned.

To our delight, Sango, Rin, and I had our next class together: Japanese Language. And an added bonus: no Inuyasha. No Miroku, either, although I didn't mind him. I wasn't exactly sure yet about what I thought of him. He seemed nice enough—until he started touching people's butts, that is. But if Sango viewed him as a friend, that was enough for me to give him a chance.

I glared at Inuyasha's disappearing form as we walked away from them, and finally looked down at the ground, determined not to think about him.

Sango frowned at me, noticing my brooding mood. "Are you okay? You look like there's a thundercloud hanging over you head."

I grimaced, and gave her a forced smile. "I'm fine. Just…"

"Annoyed at a certain silver-haired, very cute half demon?" Sango teased.

My face went bright red. "What? Well—I—it's kind of creepy to call one of your best friends 'very cute,'" I said by way of distraction.

Sango grinned wider. "Ah, but I wasn't talking that way for myself."

I growled at her. "He is not cute. He's an irritating, rude, immature… immature… JERK. That's all he is."

Sango's grin expanded even more, if that is possible.

Sango, Rin, and I sat down in Japanese Language class. The teacher was a woman in her twenties named Nazuna. She was a little stern, but fairly friendly, and she gave us the period to do whatever we wanted to.

"So, were there any jerks in your class?" I asked. "Make any new friends?"

Rin rolled her eyes. "You're talking to me like I'm five," she groaned. Then she answered the question. "Well, Tsubaki was in that glass and she was being sort of mean to me, but Ayame and Koga were in the class too, and they defended me. Ayame's really nice, and Koga is too." She grinned. "Even though he's a total womanizer. You should have seen him in English. He _flirted _with the _teacher!_"

I gasped. "He didn't!"

Sango grinned. "That kid really is a man-whore."

We giggled, shocked at ourselves.

Rin and Sango talked for a while, not really wanting to bother me when it became clear that I was in one of those _if you talk to me I'll bite your head off _moods.

Unable to take it any longer, I groaned. "Why does he hate me? I don't get it, what did I do to him?!"

Sango grinned, knowing who I was talking about. "Well, for one thing, you screamed and shouted _YOU! _when you saw him for the first time."

I rolled my eyes. "I already told you, that wasn't the first time. I met him on the street before we reached the mall and he was a total jerk then, too."

Rin nodded. "He really was. I'm a witness."

Sango looked at me thoughtfully, eyes sharp. I cringed under her gaze, unsure what she was thinking.

Finally she said softly, "It could be because you look like… her."

Rin and I exchanged a confused glance.

"Say something that makes sense, at least!" I said, exasperated.

"Um… you look like somebody who used to go to this school," Sango said slowly, cringing a little. "Kikyo Kimura."

She pronounced the words as if they were a taboo.

I frowned. "Who is…?"

Sango stared at me. "Actually… the more I think about it, the more you… you really look like her," she said, awed. "Yeah… same hair, though different styles… almost the same face, except for the eyes… if you were tall, pale-skinned and cold, you two could be twins."

"Cold?" Rin asked in confusion.

Sango smirked. "You'd really have to meet her to get it. She was the silent and mysterious type. And she was a priestess, like you, Kagome. Actually, she was the apprentice keeper of the Jewel Shrine while she was here."

I frowned. "Buy why would Inuyasha hate me just because I look like her? I'm not her."

I _hate _being told that I remind people of someone. I am Kagome, and nobody else.

Sango shifted awkwardly. "Kikyo was Inuyasha's ex-girlfriend."

I froze.

Rin frowned at me, seeing me stiffen. I quickly recovered. "So?"

"Um… they were really, really close," Sango said. "He would help her fight demons, he would comfort her, he would do pretty much anything she asked him to. I think that he genuinely loved her… and I was pretty sure she loved him, too—though you couldn't really tell, with her. But then they got into a fight, a big one, and broke up. Inuyasha was really pissed about it; they'd been together for awhile. A few days later, the shrine was attacked by demons… and somehow, Kikyo was killed."

Rin and I nearly choked.

"Kikyo's _dead?!_" I almost shouted in alarm.

"Ssh!" Sango said hastily. "People are staring. Don't worry, it's not like that's gonna happen to you guys.

"But anyway, Inuyasha was really upset about it for a long time. Even though he had been so mad at her, still, he felt like it was his fault she had died, because he wasn't there to protect her… even though she had told him very clearly, when they broke up, "Half-breed, never come near me again or I will purify you before you can even bother trying to apologize." Those were her words, according to Inuyasha. Believe me, the one thing you should _never _do is call Inuyasha a half-breed. He's sort of sensitive about it, in a weird way. He beats the shit out of people who start calling him _half-breed _or stuff like that_. _But… even after all that… he still loved her."

My eyes were soft. "That's really sad."

Sango shrugged. "I guess, yeah. I never liked Kikyo much, though. She was too removed. She didn't really seem to care for anyone besides Inuyasha. She wouldn't even talk to me and Miroku. Damn bitch.

"Look, it's been two years since then, and Inuyasha's pretty much over it. But… seeing a girl who looks like Kikyo, even has spiritual powers like Kikyo does… it probably brings back bad memories. But that's only a theory! It might not have anything to do with why he doesn't like you at all. For all I know, he hasn't even noticed."

My eyes narrowed. "Well, if that _is _the reason, I'm going to go talk some sense into him during lunch. I am KAGOME! Not Kikyo! Not anybody else! KAGOME. And he is _so _gonna—"

Sango punched me in the arm. "If you know what's good for you, don't mention anything about Kikyo to him. It hurts him a lot… though I'm more worried about what that idiot would do to you," she finished grimly.

I rolled my eyes. "Like he would ever _hurt _me."

But a small voice inside my head wondered otherwise.

"I don't know, Kagome," Rin said nervously, voice quiet. "You never know. I mean… we don't really know him that well. I think you should let the whole Kikyo thing drop."

I growled low in my throat.

Sango shrugged, grinning. "Well, it's your funeral. I'm not gonna interfere if you want to dig your own grave."

"Well I am!" Rin protested.

"Don't worry, don't worry," I said, sighing. "If it comforts you guys, I won't mention it. Happy?"

"Very," Sango and Rin said, smiling at me.

I grinned despite myself, but it quickly turned to frustration. Who did Inuyasha think he was? To see me, think I look like some chick from the past, and just decide to make my life completely miserable? Could he really be that much of a bigoted idiot? Really? Was he that petty?

I wanted to believe he wasn't—but seeing as we weren't even on civil speaking terms, there was no way to be sure.

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks so much for the reviews, it means so much to me! So, here's to the people who reviewed the last chapter: keiko-kun, Ms. KattyKat, and Xo-PaperWings-oX! My deepest apologies if I left someone out—please tell me if I ever do! You, and all of my readers, are amazing!**


	9. Some Voices Are Assholes

**Hii! Thanks to all my readers, you guys keep me going! This is a short chapter, sorry—but hopefully I'll update again tomorrow and make up for it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

CHAPTER NINE: WHY HAVING VOICES IN YOUR HEAD IS A PAIN IN THE ASS

"It's amazing how this guy can make a subject like math even worse than it was last year," Miroku said quietly.

Totosai had wasted no time in starting class. Inuyasha and Miroku, sitting next to each other, were not even paying attention.

"Yeah, whatever," Inuyasha muttered.

"However, the girls are less fortunate than we are. My dear Sango informed me that she, Rin, and Kagome all have Hosenki."

Inuyasha grinned. "Number one, she'll never be your _dear _Sango if you keep groping her ass, idiot."

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong, Yash," Miroku said, smiling dreamily.

"Perv," Inuyasha scoffed.

"So? What was number two?"

"What? Oh." Inuyasha grinned again. "I was just thinking about Kagome in Hosenki's class. You think she's failing or what?"

"I don't know; Kagome seemed like a pretty bright girl. She would have to be, to see you instantly for the asshole you are," Miroku said, grinning.

"She is such a bitch!" Inuyasha hissed, all good-humor fading. "I mean, what's wrong with her? The moment she shows up, she just decides to make my life hell—well, I'll make her life hell if it's war she wants—"

"Inuyasha, it would be so much easier for me to discuss Kagome with you if you preferred to concentrate on the good things," Miroku said, sighing. "She's quite pretty—though not as much as my Sango—"

"How can you like a girl who gives you brain damage every day?" Inuyasha asked, wondering about Miroku's stupidity.

Totosai turned from the board to glare sternly at them. "Inuyasha, I do not care _who _is giving either of you brain damage, but it may soon be me if you don't be quiet and pay attention."

A few unlucky members of the class snickered.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU LAUGHING AT, YOU ASSHOLES?!" Inuyasha shouted, standing up.

The class went utterly silent.

Totosai slowly turned around. "Inuyasha, do I need to say it?"

"No thanks. I'm outta this shithole. See ya Toto."

The class laughed at Totosai's flabbergasted expression as Inuyasha walked proudly out of the classroom.

The door closed behind him, and he was alone in the hallway. This wasn't the first time he'd been thrown out of—or rather walked out of—class. So he just decided to wander aimlessly.

Within the first minute, a text arrived.

Inuyasha opened his phone.

_NICE YASH! _

Inuyasha grinned.

_i no lech_

_lech? I didnt even do anyting _

_ur gonna later, this is just in advance _

_ur lak of confidence saddens me _

Inuyasha grinned.

Another text came:

_Btw about Kagome—u started it_

Inuyasha's eyes widened.

_WHAT?! Did not!_

_ Rack ur brain, c if u rember_

_ Idiot_

_ Why?_

_ U just r_

_ That's very upsetting_

_ Cya_

_ If u dont believe me go spy on them—they hav J Lang, class 3A, Nazuna_

_IDIOT_

_ U no u want 2_

_IDIOT!_

_ Cya yash_

Inuyasha growled and flipped the phone shut.

_I'm no perv, _he thought.

_I wonder what those girls are talking about… probably making fun of me…_

_ Keh, that idiot… how could he think _I _started it… stupid lech…_

_ Fuck it._

Inuyasha stuffed the phone back in his pocket and set off down the hallway, en route to class 3A.

As he approached the class, he listened to the voices inside, and heard a name spoken which he hadn't heard in a long time.

_What the hell are they talking about her for?_

Inuyasha listened harder.

"…drop."

His eyes narrowed. What were they talking about? And who had just spoken? He didn't recognize the voice, although it sounded faintly familiar.

"Well, it's your funeral. I'm not gonna interfere if you want to dig your own grave," said a familiar voice which he easily identified as Sango's.

"Well I am!" It was the same voice as before—now he recognized it. It was that girl, Kagome's adopted sister, Rin.

"Don't worry, don't worry." This voice, of course, was VERY recognizable. _Damn chick. _"If it comforts you guys, I won't mention it. Happy?"

Oh no he wasn't happy.

_What is she talking about?_

"Very," Sango and Rin said together.

Suddenly, a very different voice began to speak.

**So, do tell, Inuyasha. What would you be doing here? Spying on a particular girl, perhaps?**

Inuyasha froze. He knew that voice. But he hadn't heard it in a very long time.

_What the hell are you doing here? _He snapped.

**What are you talking about? I'm always HERE. After all, I am a part of you. Idiot.**

_So you got scared? You haven't shown your face in a while._

**Not scared, idiot. Bored. You can become very uninteresting sometimes. Now, though… well, things are beginning to get a bit more entertaining.**

_Damn demon, fuck off._

**You're as stubborn as always. You never do learn, do you?**

_Shut it._

**Oh? Do I need to go get the human involved in this too?**

_WHAT? NO! No way! I'm serious, if you get that idiot over here I'll…_

Do what? Kill yourself?

_NOOOOO! What the hell are you doing here?_

Did you think I would stay away forever, Inuyasha?

_You're only allowed out on the night of the new moon. So get back into whatever damn cave you hide in for the rest of the month—you're not wanted here. NEITHER of you are. Get the hell out of my head!_

I wish I got to come out more often. It's going to take a while for him to realize his feelings, and in the meantime, he'll probably make that poor girl's life hell. I wish I could do something about it.

**Perhaps if **_**I **_**could come out for a little…**

NO!

_NO!_

You'd only scare her.

**And I thought for a second that we were in agreement about something.**

_Who the hell are you guys talking about?_

**Sigh.**

Sigh.

**Maybe he'll get the shit beaten out of him soon, so I can come out.**

You're both stupid.

By the time normal Inuyasha, demon Inuyasha, and human Inuyasha had stopped arguing, the bell had rung and Inuyasha missed the rest of the girls' conversation.

"Can you believe it? I know, it's hilarious. But anyway, we should—what the hell are you doing here?"

Sango, Rin, and Kagome were all staring at Inuyasha, who, much to his dismay, had just realized he was still standing outside the classroom door—and in a very awkward situation.

"What? Um… uh… I…"

He had nothing to say. He was quailing before the intense gazes of the three girls.

Suddenly Rin smiled. "I told you, Kagome."

"What? Told me what?" Kagome demanded, sounding alarmed.

_Idiot, _Inuyasha thought.

**YOU are the idiot, not her.**

_Shut the fuck up._

Language, Inuyasha.

**We have more important things to worry about. Let's stop him before he does something to hurt Kagome's feelings.**

_Why would I care about that idiot? Why do _you _care about that idiot? She's a human! You're a demon! Shouldn't you hate her by nature?_

**You misunderstand so much about our relationship. I am not just your inner demon. I am your instincts.**

_Yeah, that's a nice load of bullshit._

Eleven words from Sango brought Inuyasha back to the present dilemma.

"I think he wanted to walk you to your next class, Kagome."

Kagome's and Inuyasha's eyes bulged.

"Hell no!" Inuyasha shouted.

Kagome glared at him. "You asshole. Like I would walk with you anyway."

"No—what? I wasn't—you bitch! I just—I got—I was—"

Sango, Rin, and Kagome were struggling to hold in their laughter. Rin looked a little like she felt sorry for him.

"Come on guys, let's go," Sango said, grinning. "Inuyasha, are you coming to lunch are do you plan to stand there stuttering at a wall?"

"Idiot, of course I'm coming," Inuyasha muttered, kicking the wall in fury.

_Miroku, I will kill you for this._

**A/N: And that's all for today! But I'll update soon, I promise, maybe tomorrow. **

**Yay! Now there are more reviews than there are chapters! I know that might not sound like a lot to many of you, but I think it's pretty good and I hope it gets even bigger! Thanks to xXthenextbookwormXx, keiko-kun, and bear lover for reviewing, and to all my readers for the subscribes and faves! Everyone, please keep reading and reviewing, and I welcome all anonymous reviewers and others to review! I don't care what you have to say, JUST DO IT!**

**On that note, see you soon! :P **


	10. How To Discourage Teenage Pregnancy

**A/N: Heeey! Here's the next chapter, as promised!**

**Disclaimer: Nope. Nothing.**

CHAPTER TEN: THE BEST WAY TO DISCOURAGE TEENAGE PREGNANCY

It was obvious that his reason for being here wasn't to walk me to lunch. I knew it—though I was beginning to suspect that Sango and Rin genuinely believed their idea. I decided to let it slide.

But why had he been here waiting for us, then?

Was he waiting for someone else? Maybe Sango? I had gotten the feeling that Miroku had feelings for Sango… it didn't seem like Inuyasha would…

Or Rin?

For some reason, the possibility that Inuyasha liked Rin hurt me.

What the hell is wrong with me?

No, Inuyasha didn't seem to have feelings for Rin either. And he obviously didn't have feelings for me—other than hatred, that is.

Then why…?

Was he spying?

How long had he been there?

What had he heard?

We met Miroku at the lunch room. Miroku raised his eyebrows at Inuyasha. Inuyasha cracked his knuckles rather threateningly.

Miroku did not make eye contact with Inuyasha for the rest of lunch.

Neither Rin nor Sango was in my next class, unfortunately: Adult and Family Living. Gah. I could just imagine the hell I would be put through here.

Back in Okinawa, we had had a course called Family Life. One of the older students had told us stories about it… stories fit for a Halloween horror fest… like… _shudder… _BABY DOLLS….

I grimaced. At least they hadn't mentioned some kind of sex lecture. I'd suffered through that in eight grade AND ninth grade along with Rin, Eri, and Ayumi, and I was still waiting for it to strike again.

They probably had to worry about it even more _here _in _Tokyo_, of all places… ha ha….

Did I mention I hate Tokyo?

I dwelled on this on my way to classroom 6A. Well, Sango's okay. Actually, I really like her. She seems nice, and cool, and funny… and a little smarter than Eri and Ayumi. Then there's Miroku, who, as I said before, I'm still not really sure of. But who would be sure of a guy who's first reaction to meeting a girl is to grab her butt?

I was awed by Sango's loyalty. Despite the fact that she spent every other waking moment slapping that pervert across the face, still… it was clear that she considered him a friend. Maybe more.

And, of course, there's Inuyasha.

I had a feeling that he was going to make my life a living hell. Rude, obnoxious, stupid, mean… everything I hate. What a jerk. I didn't need this. Moving away from my friends was bad enough as it is, and I didn't need some asshole making me even more miserable.

We've had it tough these past three years. It's taken it's toll. Why can't people understand that?

I sighed, and then smiled. I had Rin, at least. If she was with me, I could survive anything.

The next twenty minutes would make me seriously doubt that.

I took a seat towards the middle of the desks. I have found that where you sit in class can give you a reputation for the rest of your life. Sitting in the front makes you a prep or a nerd. Sitting in the back makes you a jock or a druggie. Which was hardly true. I'd known plenty of smart kids who sat in the back, and even one druggie who liked sitting right in front of the teacher… although that might have been because she was a twenty-three year old blonde.

Pervert.

Blonde is so stereotypical.

I don't even think blonde is that pretty. There aren't so many blondes around here anyway; maybe that's why some boys give them a lot of attention. Personally, I like dark hair.

But you don't give a shit about that crap, so back on track.

The room was about half full, with boys and girls sitting, talking, flirting, kissing, whatever. Actually, I _had _seen two couples making out in the hallway. Talk about gross.

The minutes passed, and the bell rang.

The teacher, a kind-looking man with black hair, smiled at us. "Hello everybody. I'm Mr. Suikotsu, I'm going to be your teacher in Adult and Family Living this year. I'll cut to the chase. This class is—"

Suddenly, the door opened.

We all turned to look, but I wished I hadn't.

How could I be stuck with _him _for a _whole class?!_

This was going to be hell.

"I'm here, you can start now," Inuyasha muttered. He took one glance around the class and his eyes found me. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Keh."

But he sat next to me.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he grumbled.

"I go to school, you know," I said hotly. "And what are you doing sitting next to me? Why don't you go join your jocks and druggies in the back?"

"Keh, maybe I will," Inuyasha scoffed, moving to stand up.

"Oh no you won't," Suikotsu said with a rather vindictive smile. "Mr. Takahashi, you have interrupted my class once. Now you will sit down in your seat and stay there."

I decided I approved of this guy.

Muttering curses to himself, Inuyasha sat back down, leaning back in his chair.

"You probably shouldn't do that, you'll fall," I said, smiling.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why do you care, chick?"

My gaze turned deadly. "Don't. Call. Me. _Chick_."

Some of the class giggled at us, but at this moment I couldn't have cared less.

"What would you rather? Idiot? Ass? Bitch?"

I don't really know what I did. But I did _something._

That word, coming from his mouth, directed at _me_, really, REALLY bothered me. It was all I could think of… that word, and the curious blue shimmer which was emerging around Inuyasha. I could only recognize it from one other time, when the demon had attacked me and Rin. But this was different. It was lighter in color, not quite as blaring, not quite as frightening….

It enraged me.

The class gasped as Inuyasha's chair flipped violently over, knocking him roughly to the ground. Laughter erupted, and I felt myself joining in, laughing hysterically, hoping nobody else had felt that surge of energy breaking out of my body. I grinned widely—Inuyasha looked absolutely _hilarious. _Bewildered, silver hair messy, he scrambled to a sitting position and then to his feet.

But by the time I got to his eyes, I was a little scared.

"You _bitch! _What the hell did you do to me?!"

I grinned nervously, raising an eyebrow, trying to act unfazed. "Do what?"

"You know what," he growled.

I narrowed my eyes. "Don't call me a bitch, Inuyasha," I whispered quietly. "Or I might have to do it again."

His golden eyes locked with mine. Slowly, he raised a clawed finger to my cheek. "And you think I couldn't do worse?" he asked softly.

I shivered, but was saved from replying by Suikotsu.

"That's enough, Inuyasha," he said sternly.

Inuyasha sent me a glare before removing his finger and sitting down. "Keh."

I grinned evilly at him, but Suikotsu caught it.

"You too, Kagome.

"All right everybody—now that that rather entertaining interlude is over," he said, smirking, "Let's get back on topic. This class is designed to show you guys the importance of family and the way to make it work. It covers child care, child development, marriage, and family relationships. We have a lot to stuff into one semester, but I think we can get it done. Would somebody volunteer to come up and pass these out?"

Suddenly a wind erupted in the classroom—the papers spilled into the air, each landing neatly on a student's desk.

I gasped, shocked.

"What? It's just some wind demon showing off," Inuyasha muttered, glancing behind him to find the culprit.

Suikotsu rolled his eyes, grinning a little. "Thank you, Kagura, for that wonderful (though helpful) display. Now, would you please look at your sheets and someone tell me the first unit."

We glanced down. I almost put my hand in the air—until I realized what it was.

_Oh crap so soon?!_

I looked up at him in horror. I'm pretty sure a few of the other kids had similar expressions.

Suikotsu grinned widely at us. "That's right! I can just see the excitement on your faces! Our first unit is: infant care!"

With that, he took a huge crate of baby dolls and set it on top of his desk, receiving many "ooh's" and "awws" from girls in the class. I rolled my eyes, wondering what they could possibly be excited about in a plastic baby.

Suikotsu held up two. They were different, to my surprise. One of them had pointed ears and a little four-pointed star mark on its neck. The other had rounded ears and no star.

"There are two types of dolls here, human and demon baby dolls. Human infants and demon infants require different types of care. Any group with demon students will receive a demon baby, and vice versa for the humans. Okay, now the groups. Ah… Kageromaru with Yuka."

Yuka grimaced, but Kageromaru objected outright. "She's a human! We'd never be together anyway. And which do we get, then?"

Suikotsu just smiled at them. "There will be no discrimination between humans and demons here, children. Let me make that clear from the start. Pairings are at least twenty percent random." The class chuckled, though not Yuka and Kageromaru. "Now, next… ah… Inuyasha Takahashi and…."

I heard a few of the girls whispering hopefully. What did they see in him? Did they honestly want to be partners with that idiot? I pitied whatever poor girl ended up stuck with that hopeless, stupid, jerky—

"Kagome Higurashi!"

What?

"WHAT?!"

I only realized we had screamed when we both bolted to our feet, staring at Suikotsu in utter disbelief and horror.

No. No, no, no, no, no. Really? Was I really to be doomed to this idiot for the duration of this whole project? How long was this project? I couldn't deal with this!

"Hey, what's your problem?" I snapped at Inuyasha.

"_My _problem, you're the one who's screaming—"

"You did too—"

"You—"

"Mr. Suikotsu please, I can't be paired with him," I pleaded, sending Inuyasha a venomous glare.

Mr. Suikotsu smiled innocently. "I'm sorry Miss Higurashi, but I really can't pick pairings based on the students' likings."

"So you base it on their _hates?_" Inuyasha asked incredulously. "Keh. This class is a joke. I'm outta here."

He picked up his stuff and moved to go.

"You probably shouldn't go, Mr. Takahashi, unless you want Miss Higurashi to fail her project."

"WHAT?!" I screamed.

Whose side was Suikotsu on?

Suikotsu, to my shock, grinned at me. I just gaped at him. What was he doing? Inuyasha didn't give a shit whether I failed this class.

Inuyasha turned slowly to face him. "What do I care?" he muttered.

Suikotsu nodded, seeming dismayed. "Okay. If that's the way you want it… ah… Kagome… you'll be paired with… Menomaru."

From the way Inuyasha stiffened and the rest of the class gasped, I knew Menomaru was somebody I wouldn't like.

I turned around to see a demon guy looking at me. He gave me a smirk and a wave. Just that was enough to make me want to smash him into the far wall with spiritual power… too bad I couldn't….

I was screwed. Inuyasha didn't give a damn about what this guy did to me.

What was Suikotsu doing?

Inuyasha looked at me, then at Menomaru. Then at Suikotsu.

Me again.

He glared at Suikotsu. "Don't you dare put her with that jackass, or I swear I will make the rest of this class a living hell for you."

Inuyasha came to sit beside me. I gawked at him, as did several students in the rest of the class.

Suikotsu smiled. "Good. It's settled," he said cheerfully. "Now… Kagura and Hakkaku… Chiyo and Akitoki…"

I didn't pay attention to the rest of the pairings. Instead I turned to Inuyasha.

"Um… who is Menomaru? I mean what is he like?"

Inuyasha scoffed. "Keh. Why do you care, wench?"

"Uh, _wench? _That's a new one."

He grinned evilly at me.

I smirked. "Why did you decide to be my partner? You could have just let me end up partnered with _him_."

Inuyasha glared at me. "Look, if he murdered you or something the whole school would blame me for your death, and I don't need that shit."

I glared at him, and looked away. It was his reputation. Figures.

"You seem pretty popular," I added, glancing at a few girls who were eyeing me with envious eyes. Honestly, what did they see in him? Couldn't they see that I'd rather be paired with almost anyone else besides this idiot?

Inuyasha grinned. "Chicks dig the looks."

I made a disgusted sound in my throat, refusing to look at him.

"Okay everyone, pairings are set," Suikotsu said. "Now, I'm going to call you up to collect your babies."

A few of the girls squealed. Inuyasha and I groaned, glared at each other, and swiftly looked away.

"Chiyo and Akitoki… human baby doll, here you go."

Chiyo smiled widely, wrapping the plastic thing she received tightly in her arms. Akitoki grimaced at the doll, but sighed and refrained from grumbling when he saw Chiyo's enthusiasm.

"All right. Next, Kagura and Hakkaku. You get a demon baby."

Kagura went up and claimed her baby. She rolled her eyes. "That's kind of obvious, Mr. Suikotsu."

Suikotsu nodded in approval. "I like the _mister_. Usually when kids give me attitude they just call me Suikotsu."

Kagura grinned, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, Inuyasha and Kagome. Here you go… demon baby doll."

One of the guys in the back of the classroom called out, "What, you don't have any _half _demon baby dolls?"

The entire class went dead silent.

Suikotsu narrowed his eyes at the student who had spoken. But Inuyasha's expression was what frightened me the most.

He had frozen. He had been just sliding off the chair when the guy had spoken, and now he was utterly still. In that moment, it was as if the world stopped spinning. But seeing as the world is a huge oversized rock flying through space, it can't stay still for very long.

After what seemed like forever, he slowly turned around to stare into the guy's skull with deadly precision.

Inuyasha stood up, cocking an eyebrow. I stared up at him, anxious. Yes, I hated him, but I didn't want him to get hurt in a fight with some scary demon or something…

"Yeah?" Inuyasha asked aggressively, taking a step toward the offender. "You want to say that again?"

The guy stood up. He was sitting next to Menomaru in the back of the classroom. He grinned at Inuyasha. "Sure. Actually, _technically_, it would have to be a _quarter _demon… right? Or maybe half demons can't even pass on the gene. I wouldn't be surprised, you're pretty weak as it is."

Inuyasha was making dents in one of the girls' desks.

"Really?" he asked, picking up the desk. "You want to try me?"

The girl squealed, along with several others. There was a flurry of motion to get away from the two desks.

"Inuyasha, Gatenmaru, I want you both to sit down. Now," Suikotsu said, voice unexpectedly deadly.

Inuyasha and Gatenmaru exchanged a venomous glare, and then Inuyasha muttered, "We pick this up after school. You'll see what half demons can do then, you fucker."

"Inuyasha, sit down," I ordered. "Gatenmaru—leave him alone."

"Stay out of this, bitch!" Inuyasha hissed.

"Don't _call _me that, I'm just trying to help you!" I hissed back, genuinely hurt.

"Well I don't need your help!"

Insensitive, ungrateful, stupid….

"Do I need to give you boys detention?" Suikotsu asked casually.

"If we have it together, sure," Gatenmaru replied.

Inuyasha growled.

"Sit down. Now."

But they did, shooting glares at each other all the while.

"Kagome, you may come and collect your new child," Suikotsu said, grinning at me.

"Thanks Mr. Suikotsu," I said, shooting a venomous glare at Inuyasha.

I took the baby doll from his hands. He had pointed ears and pink irises. He wasn't quite as chubby a doll as the human dolls, I noticed.

He? What was I thinking?

It's an it. Case closed.

Inuyasha glanced at the baby doll I held in my arms as I took my seat. He made a noise which sounded like, "Keh," and looked away.

"All right," Suikotsu said, clapping his hands together once all the baby dolls were handed out. "Now, your job is to take care of these babies for the next two weeks. They have microchips in them which will let me know if they have not been fed, or if they are crying, for how long they are crying, if they are ignored… or _beaten_… or ripped into pieces."

A few kids giggled. Others looked horrified and clutched their dolls closer to them.

"The project starts tomorrow. Your homework tonight is to go home and research what your baby will need, depending on whether it is human or demon. When you come back in, tell me what supplies you need and I will give them to you. Let me add: if your baby dies, you fail this project." He grinned. "And with that, the bell's about to ring, so have a good day!"

The bell rang and the class got up to leave.

"Remember to split the work evenly, and keep in mind that bickering parents lead to an unhappy child!" he shouted after us.

Inuyasha and I grimaced at each other.

"Hey, why do you get to hold the kid?" he demanded.

"Cause you're a bad influence." I grinned. "What, you want him? Do you think he's cute, Inu?"

Inuyasha growled. "Shut it, wench."

I laughed—_wench. _

"Keh. Bitch," he muttered.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "We're so getting a divorce after this project is over."

"I think we're getting a divorce _before _the damn project is over."

We turned our heads away from each other as we marched down the hallway.

I looked down at the lifeless baby doll in my arms. It looked so innocent, unaware of the yearnings for violence emanating from its parents-to-be.

This kid was going to have a rough two weeks.

**A/N: Hi guys! Thanks so much for reading, all of you! Your reviews and alerts and faves and all that wonderful stuff make my day. Special thanks to xXthenextbookworkXx, k (), and beautiful-surreal for reviewing! Not like I gave you guys much time, he he. **

**Everyone! All my old readers and new readers! Please: review, review, review! Your comments and ideas are welcome and much loved! **


	11. Enter Naraku

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Inuyasha… I'd think you would know that by now…**

CHAPTER ELEVEN: ENTER NARAKU

I split from Inuyasha the first chance I got. Understandably, I didn't want to carry a baby doll around for the rest of the day (which was only one period, luckily), so I dashed to my locker and stuffed it inside. Now I was running late, and practically had to sprint to science.

Here it was—classroom 7B.

I turned the knob and opened it—only to walk into a class full of seniors.

With a squeal I ran out of the classroom, utterly humiliated. What? This was 7B, right? Yeah! This was it! Then why…? Wait, I wanted 7C. So, to the left was 7A, then to the right was… 7D.

What?!

7A, 7B, 7D?

You've got to be kidding me.

"Hey, Kagome. Do you need help?" a mildly amused voice asked.

I spun around to see—Hakudoshi.

_You should stay away from him, Kagome._

My friends' words rang in my head, over and over again, but Hakudoshi didn't seem to be doing anything wrong. In fact, he was asking if I needed help. So far he'd done nothing to hurt me—he'd even protected me. So why was I frightened of him?

I smiled back at him, a bit forced. "Um, no thanks Hakudoshi. I'm fine, really."

He grinned at me. "You don't really look fine to me," he said, leaning against a wall.

I grimaced.

What do I do what do I do what do I do?!

"Let's see… bell rings in… forty nine seconds," he said, checking his watch. "You sure you don't want help?"

I debated with my fear, my pride, and my logic.

Logic won.

"Okay, I need help," I admitted.

He smiled at me. "Come on. Where's your next class?"

"Um… science with Naraku."

"Really? Me too, surprising!" he exclaimed, not seeming surprised at all. "Come on, it's not far from here."

I followed him. We walked up the stairs and to classroom 7C.

"Sorry, I know it's confusing," he said, smiling. "Some of the classrooms were remodeled, and the numbers got messed around a little bit."

I grinned. "Yeah, I noticed. Thanks, Hakudoshi."

"You're welcome," he said, smiling at me as he held the door for me.

A perfect gentleman.

Why did I get the feeling that there was something very wrong about him?

I wouldn't have imagined a Darkchild to behave like this… so far, he'd done nothing at all wrong. He'd been perfectly nice to me—which was more than I could say for certain rude dog demons I had met.

I've never been inclined to be prejudiced against someone because of what they are. So what if he was a Darkchild? He seemed nice.

It was only fair to give him a chance.

At least, that's what I told myself.

I looked around the classroom. There were a few others in it—two who I recognized: Yura and Menomaru. They sat to one side of the classroom, a little back, and were currently engaged in a violent liplock.

I shuddered.

There were a few humans who I didn't recognize, and one person who was very clearly a demon. I found myself fascinated by his appearance. He had pale lavender hair similar to Hakudoshi's but shorter. His lightly tanned skin was marked with blue tattoos, and rippled muscles.

Obviously a demon.

"That's Moryomaru," Hakudoshi told me, noticing my stares. I blushed.

"It's not that… I just… he's the first demon I've seen who looks so… so…."

"Really?" Hakudoshi asked, sounding politely surprised. He smiled. "You should see some of the other students here, then. You haven't met many demons before now, have you?"

I shook my head. "Oh, no. I mean, I know something about demons, but not really their lifestyles or anything like that… yeah… we didn't have any classes about demons or anything back home."

Hakudoshi nodded, understanding. "There probably weren't many demons in Okinawa, were there?"

I shook my head. "I don't think there were any—how did you know I was from Okinawa?"

I turned to stare at him. It felt unusual, not having to look up.

But he smiled, unperturbed. "Hey, don't worry. I mean, I think everyone knows."

I frowned, but didn't say anything.

Hakudoshi pulled out a chair for me. I sat, politely thanking him, while he took the desk next to me.

"No problem," he said very softly.

At that moment the teacher walked into class.

Naraku was a guy in his twenties, tall, good build, black hair—but I stopped when I saw his face.

Something was not right about that face.

It wasn't that it was distorted—in fact, it could have been a handsome face if one were to look at it that way. But that expression… the way his eyes roved across the classroom… the way they lingered…

It wasn't natural.

It was far too open.

His dark eyes were bright and friendly, his lips twisted into a slight smile—an utterly _wrong _smile. His wavy black hair fell almost like snakes down his back. His skin was pale and even-toned… his bangs fell across his forehead…

His eyes landed on me.

They lingered on my face, and as our gazes locked, I felt an incredible shiver go up my spine. It didn't help, either, that I could feel, amassed within him, a demonic aura the likes of which I had never before encountered. I wasn't even in danger, and I already could almost see that blue tinge shimmering around him, around this man, my science teacher, Naraku….

He smiled at me, eyes open and friendly, and walked toward me.

"Hello, you must be Kagome Higurashi. I have heard great things about you." He stopped in front of Hakudoshi and me, and held out a hand.

It took a moment for me to remember I was probably supposed to shake it. I did. His grip was firm and cold and… friendly.

Friendly.

The word seemed unnatural now.

But as I looked into his face, as our handshake ended, I couldn't help but feel that… there was nothing wrong with him. After all, his entire manner spoke calmness, intelligence, ease, and once again, _friendliness._

I did my best to unknot my spine and smiled back at him. "Yes, that would be me."

Naraku smiled again. "Good. I'm looking forward to knowing you better, Miss Higurashi," he said in a silky tone which could only be compared to the way Hakudoshi spoke. Naraku turned toward the boy beside me. "Hello Hakudoshi. Have you been helping Miss Higurashi find her classes?"

"Yes, sir," Hakudoshi said with a smile. "She is in good hands." He winked at me.

Naraku's lips twitched. "I'm glad to hear it," he told both of us, and turned and glided back to his desk.

My mouth opened and closed again. I still wasn't sure if I trusted Hakudoshi, and I didn't know if he would understand my conflict about Naraku.

I don't know if _I _understand my conflict about Naraku.

Here was another one, whose every action or word was gentlemanly and kind, but who caused my instincts to scream bloody murder. It didn't make a scrap of sense.

Maybe one of my friends, Sango or Miroku, knew Naraku. Maybe they could tell me more about him. And if Rin had him this year for her science teacher—although I knew she would be in her advanced science class—then I could ask her what she thought about him. I knew Rin would tell me everything.

That's one of the things that makes me adore Rin. She's so trusting, and open, and warm to everyone. Rin has never kept a secret from me, and I don't think she ever will.

I knew I could trust her if I told her how I felt about Naraku. But if she had no classes with him and never even held _contact _with him, then what would be the point?

Who else could I ask? Ayame? Maybe. Koga? I supposed that was a possibility too. I knew I couldn't tell either of them how I felt about Naraku, though—unless they agreed with me.

Inuyasha? Hell no—well, that's what _I'm _telling myself. My logic says otherwise.

The bell rang.

The students, as in all my previous classes, kept chattering. But that was soon to change.

A great cold wind swept through the classroom, followed by a flickering of the lights. A gasp arose from the class, echoed by a stinging silence.

The cold dissipated, the lights went on. We gaped at Naraku, who sat calmly in his desk, leaning forward, looking at us all.

"Let me make one thing very clear from the first day. After that bell rings, there is to be no noise, unless you are called upon by me—and only me. Disobeying this rule will only bring you unhappiness as the year progresses. And we don't want that, do we?"

The class was frozen.

Naraku smiled. "Good. Now, I should hope that class will fall silent the instant the bell rings from all days onward—without enforcement or prodding.

"I try to be fair to my students, but I will not tolerate attitude. Immaturity and brass behavior will be met with an according punishment. Am I clear?"

The class nodded woodenly.

He smirked. "Good."

At that moment the door opened and a human boy rushed into class.

"I'm sorry, sir, I—"

"Detention," Naraku drawled, not even looking up.

The boy froze. "What?"

Naraku still didn't meet his eyes. "Are you asking me to repeat myself?"

"Well—I don't—"

"Did you or did you not hear me?"

"Yes, sir, but—"

"Do you know the meaning of the word?"

"Well, yeah, but—"

"Then there is no need for further discussion," Naraku purred. "Take your seat."

The boy, somewhat stunned, sat down. No one dared to look at him.

This was going to be a frightening last period.

How could Naraku act like this? At one time he can smile kindly and make brief, pointless conversation with Hakudoshi and me… and the next he sends the class into a cold darkness, or condemns a poor kid to detention without a second thought?

I had seen teachers give a detention without even looking up from their papers, but there was something very wrong about this time.

I glanced at Hakudoshi. His face was blank.

I shuddered. All this was too much to think about.

Class passed. I packed up my books as fast as I could and was out the door in seconds; I didn't think I could take another minute of that demonic aura.

I'd always been able to sense demonic auras, although it had taken me a while to be able to differentiate in power, and the whole "blue aura" thing was very new. Were my spiritual powers growing?

I hoped so. Something told me that in Tokyo, I was going to need them.

**A/N: Hi everyone! This one was really short, and I'm so sorry about that. Thanks to ****animeroxsrin2sess0andinu2kag, xXthenextbookworkXx, and K () for reviewing! Your enthusiasm makes me so HAAAAAPPYYYYYYY! : ) **

**Anyway, everybody, please review! Once again, I don't care if you don't think you have much to say! Please review, it'll speed up the next update and, of course, make me HAAAAAPPYYYYYYY! **

**Not to sound desperate or anything. XD **

**Thanks so much! **


	12. Just To Talk

**A/N: SNOOOOOW DAAAAY! YAY! Guys, thank you so much for all the reviews! You reviewed so much over the last two days, you deserve a quick update. :) **

**Disclaimer: Nope… no Inuyasha for me… **

CHAPTER TWELVE: JUST TO TALK

"Shit," Sango said as she, Rin and I met at our lockers.

We looked questioningly at her as she snatched her phone from her pocket, flipping it open. "Shit," she repeated. She glanced at us apologetically. "Sorry, guys. There's a demon problem over in downtown Tokyo. They need backup."

"Oh," I said, surprised. "So does that mean you're not gonna come see me hold the Orb?"

Sango grinned. "Miss your audience, Kagome?"

"What?! No! You were the one who invited yourself over, let me remind you."

Sango grinned. "Sure, sure. I know you're disappointed." She sighed. "Now I'm gonna have to text the boys and tell them the news…."

"You invited Miroku and Inuyasha to our house?!" I almost screeched. "You can't go inviting random people to people's houses! It's not—it's not—"

Rin and Sango giggled.

"They're not _random people_," Sango finally said, grinning widely. "Miroku's the pervert and Inuyasha's the dog boy you despise. They're not very easy people to forget."

I groaned. "Look, I guess I don't mind Miroku as long as it's _your _butt he keeps trying to grope, but having Inuyasha over at my house wouldn't be fun. Especially since he's already gonna be there often enough, thanks to," I grimaced, yanking open my locker and grabbing the baby doll by its neck, "Our _baby_."

Rin yelped. "Kagome, don't hold him like that!" She scolded, grabbing the doll from my choking hands. She cradled it in her arms, delicately cooing to it. Then she smiled at me. "See? That's how you hold a baby."

"It's not a baby," I groaned. "It's a _doll_, for crying out loud."

Rin frowned, tugging on its ears. "Why does it have pointed ears?"

Sango raised her eyebrows. "Cause it's a demon. Duh."

Rin giggled. "Oh. Right. Duh, sorry." She stroked the baby's face. "It's so cute, I want one."

"Not when you're partnered with Inuyasha, you don't," I grumbled.

Sango barked a laugh. "You're partnered with Inuyasha?"

I nodded glumly. "Believe me, it's going to be hell. I can't even _talk _to that jerk for five minutes without yelling, how are we supposed to pretend to be _married?_"

Rin frowned, handing the doll back to me. "Maybe you could switch off."

I shrugged. "I'll start with that at first, but I just know he's going to shove the "kid" in a bin somewhere when I'm not around. We'll fail our project!"

Sango grinned. "Somebody's not ready to be a parent."

"Like hell I'm not! I'm sixteen! Do I look like I'm planning on having kids to you?"

Sango and Rin giggled again.

"Ergh! You guys are evil. Well, you'll have to suffer through this when _you _have Adult and Family Living. You must have it next semester, or you wouldn't be making fun of me."

The smiles were wiped off their faces.

Sango grimaced. "I've got Shop for this marking period—with Miroku. I guess that means I'm gonna be in his Family class, right?" Her eyes narrowed. "I swear, if I have to be partnered with that _pervert _for the baby project then I'll—"

"I thought you said you were friends," I said grinning.

Sango stopped, blushed, and then said, "We are! But that doesn't mean I like having him feel me up all the time!"

Rin and I grinned evilly.

Sango fumed, and then groaned. "You guys are like fraternal twins. You don't even need to _speak _to know what each other's thinking."

"Believe me, you don't want to know what goes on in Rin's mind," I said. "Underneath that innocent smile, a dark evil is waiting to break free…"

Rin stuck her tongue out at me. "You're one to talk."

I stuck my tongue back out at her.

Sango pulled her backpack over her shoulders. "I've really got to go, guys; sorry. How about tomorrow, okay?"

"Of course, sure," Rin said, smiling brightly. "Maybe we can get smoothies or bubble tea or something on the way."

Sango grinned. "That'd be great! See ya!"

"Bye," we called.

We turned to each other.

"Well, it's just us again," I said.

Rin smiled at me. "Yeah. I don't mind though."

"Me neither. Let's go home."

We started walking back to our house, which would take probably about forty minutes to reach. But my mother and grandfather would be too busy to pick us up, so that was how it would be.

Stupid Tokyo.

About twenty minutes in, Rin said, "I like Sango. Even Miroku." She giggled a little.

I nodded. "Yeah. Sango's great. And Miroku, although he is a pervert, is funny."

"He's nice, too," Rin said thoughtfully.

I grinned. "Having some _thoughts _about Miroku, _Rinny?_"

She stuck her tongue out at me. "No I am not. Besides, he and Sango like each other."

I frowned at her. "Where'd you get that idea?"

She raised her eyebrows at me, obviously wondering at how stupid I was. "It's obvious," she said simply.

I smirked. "Yeah, I guess. If groping someone's butt or slapping someone who gropes your butt is a sign of affection."

Rin laughed, shaking her head. "No, no, it _is _a sign of affection. Miroku definitely knows he likes Sango, and Sango probably wouldn't admit her feelings if her life depended on it. At least not yet. The trouble is, how are they going to get together?"

I stared at her. "Since when do you play matchmaker?"

Rin frowned at me. "I don't! I'm not good at making stuff happen. I just know when stuff is _going _to happen, or when someone _wants _stuff to happen. It's clear as day to me, I don't even have to think about it."

Rin has a way of seeing right to the truth of the matter which I will never understand, but which will always awe me. Cause the thing is, she's always right. It was true in Okinawa, and it's still true here.

"Just like you and Inuyasha," Rin added casually, not even seeming to realize what she'd said.

I stopped walking altogether.

It took Rin a few moments to realize I was no longer beside her. Very confused, she turned around and smiled awkwardly. "Uh… Kagome? Plan on moving any time soon?"

I shook my head, walking. I grinned. "Sorry, I thought you said that me and Inuyasha like each other."

We kept walking.

"You do," she said.

I stared at her, but didn't stop this time. "Uh, Rin? Reality check? I hate Inuyasha."

"Of course you do. You have to hate him, because otherwise you'll love him."

Wth?

"Where the hell did you get that from?" I finally exclaimed, exasperated.

She turned her head to grin at me, aware of my irritation now. "It's clear as day, Kagome," she said in a singsong voice. "I don't even have to think about it."

"Rin, you're crazy," I said, not willing to argue with my best friend and sister.

Rin rolled her eyes. "Suit yourself, but you're only hiding from the truth. It's only a matter of time."

We walked in silence for a little bit. Rin seemed at ease, but this was _not _a comfortable silence for me.

Finally I sighed. "Look, Rin, even if I _did _go crazy and decide I "like" Inuyasha, he'd never return my feelings. He hates every bone in my body."

I was surprised at the depression which crept into my voice.

Rin noticed it too. She looked up at me, eyes soft. "Kagome, it's okay," she consoled, putting an arm around my shoulders and patting my back in comfort. When I looked into her face, it held nothing but sincerity. "He does like you. He doesn't want to like you, that's why he pretends to hate you."

I shrugged—and then realized what she'd said.

Shrugging her off a little roughly, I spat, "Are you kidding? I don't like him, I don't want him to like me. End of story." I laughed. "You must be seriously messed up."

Rin was silent.

I frowned at her. "Rin?"

She looked down at her shoes. "I'm not messed up," she muttered.

I ceased walking altogether and pulled her around to face me. "I'm sorry," I said earnestly, devastated by what I'd said. "You know I didn't mean it, Rin."

One of the corners of her mouth twitched finally, but it was a forced smile which she gave me. "I know," she assured me. "Don't worry. I'm sorry. I guess I am messed up."

I shook my head. "No you're not. You never were and you never will be. There's nothing wrong with being you, Rin. You're my favorite person in the world, and you're the nicest I or anyone has or will ever meet. Kay?"

Rin grinned at me. "I know that," she chirped, laughing a little, just a twinge of sadness left in her voice and face.

"Good, cause I'm tired of reassuring you," I said with a grin.

She smirked at me.

If there's one thing you should never call Rin, it's "messed up." She's okay with crazy, psychotic, insane… pretty much anything else. But there _is _a line which you should never cross.

I'm not sure why she's so sensitive to those two words, but I think it has to do with being bullied when she was younger. Having been raised by demons, I'm pretty sure she had a tough time when she was a little kid. Other orphans in the orphanages or foster homes she had stayed at taunted her about it. Not just teasing, but real cruelty. It was mostly humans who did it to her. Besides having been raised by demons for the first year of her life… I think that might have something to do with why she sometimes feels a kind of affinity for them.

But the thing is, Rin has never been ashamed of her past. No matter how much abuse she's received for it, she's never tried to hide it. So I don't bother hiding it either. It's not like I go around broadcasting, but if a friend asks, I would tell them.

Because Rin doesn't care.

Rin is amazing. She knows a lot, she _sees _a lot. But whatever's she been right about before, she's dead wrong about me and Inuyasha.

"Man, this is such a long walk," Rin complained.

"That's Tokyo for you," I muttered.

Rin grinned at me. "Okay, Kagome—quick. What are ten things you hate about Tokyo?"

I grinned back; she knew just what to do to help pass the time. "Okay, uh… number one, it's Tokyo. Number two, it's not Okinawa. Number three, it's a big city. Number four, Inuyasha's here. Number five, I think some kid named Bankotsu is threatening my life. Number six, me and Inuyasha have to take care of a piece of plastic together and pretend it's a baby. Seven… uh… Yura and Tsubaki are bitches. No, sorry—SEVEN Yura is a bitch, EIGHT Tsubaki is a bitch." Tokyo was really getting to my language, huh? "Nine… um…"

"Tick tock, tick tock," Rin hummed, smiling angelically.

I growled at her. "Nine… nine is… uh… I lost a dollar since I came here. Ten… I think my Adult and Family Living teacher has a multiple personality disorder. There. Done."

Rin laughed. "Who's your Adult and Family Living teacher?"

I grinned. "Suikotsu. He can actually be pretty cool… until he paired me up with Inuyasha, first threatened to fail both of us if Inuyasha wouldn't be my partner, and second threatened to pair me with this creep Menomaru if Inuyasha still refused."

Rin gaped at me. "What did Inuyasha do?"

"Um, haven't I been venting about this to you for at least a collective twenty minutes? We're "married" and we're stuck raising a plastic kid, remember?"

Rin giggled. "Oh, yeah."

"It's not funny," I moaned. "I don't know what I'm gonna do!"

Rin just laughed.

"Okay," I growled, "Ten things you hate about Tokyo."

Rin stopped laughing. She frowned. "Um… well, number one, Inuyasha's being mean to you. Even if it's just because he totally likes you, he shouldn't be an egotistical jerk. Two… Tsubaki and Yura are jerks, I guess. But there were jerks back in Okinawa too. Um… well…"

I stared at her, raising one eyebrow.

"H-hey, don't give me that look!" she protested. "It's just that I… I…"

"You…?"

She looked down, blushing a little. "I don't really mind it here," she muttered.

I burst out laughing. "Ha!"

Rin looked at me in terror.

"Ha ha!" I continued. "Look at your face! What did you think I would do, disown you?"

Rin sighed in relief, also laughing. "Kagome, you jerk."

I grinned. "Yeah, but I'm your sister, so you're stuck with me."

Rin smiled hesitantly. "You really don't mind? That I… like it here?"

"If you can give me a good explanation, I'll let it slide. Ten things. Go."

Rin grinned excitedly. "Okay. Well… one, Sango and Miroku and Inuyasha are all fun to be around, and Sango and Miroku at least are nice, and Inuyasha will be soon enough. Um, two, I like most of my teachers. Three, nobody's started picking on me a lot. Four, I like our house. Five, I'm excited to be a shrine keeper. Six, I like Kaede. Seven, Koga and Ayame are nice. Um… eight… eight is…"

To my surprise, Rin began to blush.

"Uh, Earth to Rin? Eight is…?"

Rin blushed harder, shaking her head quickly. "No, never mind."

I grinned. "Well, you've got to think of something else then."

Rin sighed in defeat. "Inuyasha's older brother is nice."

I glanced at her, wondering whether I should really talk to her about this.

"Before you say anything, I know that it'll never turn into anything," Rin said really quickly. "He doesn't have an interest in me that way. He's just nice. That's all. It's not like I really have an interest in him that way anyway. I just wish we could be friends. If I do have real interests, I'll get rid of them. Promise."

She looked at me, eyes wide and earnest.

I bit my lip. "Look, Rin, I'm your friend, I'm not telling you what to do. I'm just warning you… Sesshomaru doesn't seem like a really warm guy to me."

Rin shook her head, frowning. "How would you know? You've barely even met him."

"Neither have you."

She said nothing.

We walked in silence for another minute until Rin said, "I can't say I'm sorry for what I feel. You just wouldn't understand."

I shrugged, and smiled at her. "Okay. I'm not going to press you. Just… know that I'm here for you, okay? And do us all a favor… don't get yourself into situations where you're vulnerable."

"Who would hurt me?" Rin almost scoffed.

I shrugged. "You never know." I grinned. "I hate to break it to you, Rin, but you're way too trusting."

She grinned at me. "I thought that was a virtue."

"Well, it is, until it gets you killed."

Rin grinned. "Well, if I do die, my spirit's gonna come back and haunt you for the rest of your life."

"Which is why I'm not gonna let you die—I've already got a dog-eared idiot and unnamed mysterious Orb-of-Night-hunting-demons making my life miserable, and I don't need the vengeful spirit of my dead sister to have it in for me too."

We exchanged a grin, and laughed together.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do about the whole Sesshomaru thing. But right now it didn't seem like it was heading anywhere… it was just a harmless crush. Rin wasn't stupid. She knew not to get herself in trouble. As long as it was a crush, I didn't have to do anything.

I just hoped it would stay that way.

"I still can't get used to how big this house is," Rin said, sighing as we reached the front gates of our house.

"You're telling me," I muttered. "We've got steps, a gate, a yard, a big house, a shrine, _and _a garage. It's insane!"

"I love it," Rin said, grinning. "It's kind of nice having my own room—not that I minded sharing it with you."

I grinned back at her. "I get it. I like the privacy too; and we don't have to argue about when to go to bed anymore."

Rin laughed.

Our grounds really were fairly expansive. Off the street, you would see a five foot high stone wall surrounding our property, except for one gate. Behind that on about three-quarters of the property was a sloping incline of grass, dotted with bushes or trees in some areas. The other quarter was a neatly paved driveway and garage. Between the driveway and the house was a huge tree which I had been told was called the Sacred Tree. Set just a bit further from the wall on the grassy hill area was our house—and to the left, the shrine. The rest of the area was our lawn, some of which was in front of the house and some of which was in the back.

All in all, it was big.

We stopped dead when we entered the house.

"Did a hurricane hit this place or something?" I asked, gaping.

"I can't tell if it was an angry hurricane or a cleaning-frenzy hurricane," Rin said, shaking her head in awe.

Furniture and boxes were spread pell-mell all over the rooms, concentrated especially in the living rooms. Rin and I ran upstairs to check the rooms which we had claimed as ours—there were several boxes in each, and a few large pieces of furniture, like desks, dressers, or lamps.

"Well, this is impressively chaotic," I finally said to Rin once we both emerged back into the mini-hallway.

She nodded, and grinned. "Hey! You know what? Maybe we get to design our rooms now!"

My eyes lit up. "That would be pretty cool."

Our mother and grandfather then emerged from their room, looking haggard and covered in dust.

"Furniture arrangement isn't quite as thrilling as you might think," Mom said wryly.

Grandpa wiped sweat from his forehead. "Could we take a break? We've been working for hours."

Mom glared at him. "Actually, _I've _been working for hours. Your last break was… what… fifteen minutes ago?"

"I'm old, don't push me," Grandpa grumbled. "It's not my fault!"

He trudged down the stairs, muttering to himself.

Mom, Rin, and I giggled.

"Oh, wow," my mom said, laughing. "He really is hard to work with. He knows very well that he has just as much strength as I do, but he always plays the "senior citizen" card on me!"

I grinned. "Sounds tough."

"Very. But now you guys tell me—how was school? Was it okay? Did you make any friends? Enemies?"

"Calm down, Mom," I teased. "You might talk too fast for your mouth to catch up."

Mom grinned. "Just tell me everything. Was the walk home too bad? I know it's farther than what you're used to, and I'm sorry, but I doubt I'll be able to pick you up."

Rin dismissed it. "Don't worry about it," she said easily. I nodded in agreement.

"That's a relief. So, make any friends?"

We looked at each other and then Rin said, "Yeah, we met some people. There's this girl we became friends with at the mall, her name is Sango, and she's really nice. And she introduced us to her friends—Miroku and Inuyasha."

"Oh, really? What are they like?"

"Uh…" we glanced at each other, and grinned, knowing full well not to mention Miroku's… _odder _side to our mother.

"They're nice," Rin said, smiling. She grinned at me. "Even though Kagome and Inuyasha have a kind of _thing _going on."

"Oh?" Our mother raised her eyebrows at me. "What _kind _of thing?" she asked, pursing her lips and struggling not to laugh.

I grimaced at Rin, and then said, "We hate each other."

Mom laughed. "Oh, okay. At least I don't have to worry about you having a boyfriend yet."

"With that jerk? Are you kidding?" I scoffed. I grinned at Rin. "Well, Rin thinks otherwise, I guess."

"What?" Mom asked, confused.

"Nothing!" Rin and I said immediately.

She looked between us, and finally sighed, smiling. "Okay, okay. Fine. So was there anybody mean?"

"Not really," we said, shrugging.

Except Inuyasha, but I didn't feel like going into that. And I knew way better than to mention Bankotsu.

She pursed her lips, and then relaxed. "Okay. But you would tell me if some thing was going on, right?"

"Of course," Rin said sweetly. I nodded.

We both knew that chances are we wouldn't tell her squat.

Mom sighed. "Fine. That's all I can ask, right? So, now… unfortunately, I have jobs for you to do."

"You know what, suddenly we're very busy," I said.

"Yeah!" Rin added. "Homework, all that stuff…"

"We really wouldn't have time…"

"Loads to do…"

"See ya!"

"Oh no you don't!" Mom said, grinning as she grabbed both of us. "This is your house, and you two are going to help me fix it up."

We groaned together.

"Oh come on, it's not that hard," my mom pleaded. "Look. I just want you to unpack the stuff in your rooms, and get the big furniture into the places you want it. Okay? Make sure to leave room for your beds."

"Sure, Mom," we mumbled our assent, and trudged off to finish up our rooms.

We worked for about an hour before Mom let us quit. Exhausted, we found the family laptop and sat down outside with it.

"You want to watch an anime or something?" I suggested.

"Sure," Rin said. "Just make sure it's legal."

I sighed. Rin and her legalities.

"Hmm…" Rin said. "You know what, we've finished almost all the good ones! Let's check your email instead."

I nodded. "Yeah, sure, okay."

I typed in my password, the laptop on my lap, Rin sitting next to me and leaning to see the screen.

"Why do you get to hold the laptop?" Rin complained.

I grinned at her. "Finders keepers losers weepers."

"Jerk."

Sure enough, there were four new messages when I glanced at my inbox: two from Eri, one from Ayumi, and one from Hojo.

Rin and I exchanged a glance at the last one.

Rin sighed, smiling a little. "I feel bad that you don't like him. He actually is nice, even if he's kind of annoying."

I groaned. "He _is_ nice, yeah, but a lot of the time he's just super-over-helpful. He has no concept of when to give up; I wish we could just be friends."

Rin giggled. "Isn't that the kind of thing you look for in a guy?"

I rolled my eyes. "Not this kind of not giving up. To be honest, I don't have a clue what kind of guy I like."

Rin nodded. "That's okay." She frowned. "I guess for me… the most important thing would be that he loves me."

"Loves? Isn't that moving a little fast?" I teased.

She poked me in the ribs. "I think that when I meet the right guy, it'll just happen," she said, both dreamy and indignant.

I laughed. "Okay, okay. Let's look at Hojo's."

Rin glared at me but didn't argue.

Hey Kagome!

I hope you and Rin have made it there okay! Tokyo's a pretty big place, and it's far from Okinawa, too. I can't believe you guys are in the big city. Is it cool? Even though I miss you, I hope you're happy there.

Say hi to Rin for me!

Stay safe and healthy,

Hojo

I sighed. Hojo really could be nice, and I knew he had all good intentions. But unfortunately, I just didn't like him as anything more than a friend. And that was where he got annoying.

"Let's do Eri's first one now," Rin suggested. I opened it.

KAGOME! RIN CAUSE YOU'RE ALWAYS THERE! HIIIIII!

OMG you've just been gone for a day and I miss you already! I don't know how I'll survive! You'd better reply soon or Ayumi and I will come down there and kick your asses!

So what's Tokyo like? Is the city cool? Send me pics!

REEEEEEEEPLYYYYYYYYYYYYY SOOOOOOOOOOOOON OR I WILL EAT YOU!

Eri! J 3

Rin and I laughed. Eri was as hyper as always.

We read Ayumi's next.

Hi Kagome! If you're reading this, then hi Rin too! I sent you an email too, Rin, just so you know! (I know sometimes you don't check it)

Oh I feel so lonely! I'm stuck with Eri jabbering on about her crush of the week lol! PLEASE! SEND HELP! SOS!

I really miss you, but I hope you end up liking Tokyo. Kagome, I know you're dead set against it, but hopefully you'll be able to learn a thing or two from Rin about being open-minded. Rin! Be a good influence on her! Believe me, without me there Kagome needs you more than ever to keep her sane! :P

School starts for us in about a week, and you? Tell me about all the classes, and the teachers, and the demons and the guys and your new friends *sniff, sniff* L !

You have to tell me about the city, too! I think Eri's foaming at the mouth at the thought of you guys in Tokyo and us stuck back here. Maybe we can come visit you some time. It's only about two hours by plane, right? I bet we could do it! Only I won't suggest it to Eri yet; knowing her, she might find a jet and hijack it J .

I miss you like crazy! Reply soon, please!

Ayumi

p.s. me and Eri are working on stalling Hojo so he doesn't bombard you with emails J

We laughed again at Ayumi's message, and read Eri's latest.

KAGOMEEEEEE! RIIIIIIIIIIIIIN! WHY HAVENT YOU EMAILED ME BACK?! I WILL EAT YOU! MUAHAHAHAHA!

Unless you feel like replying J

I grinned at Rin. Eri and Ayumi were still the same. I wasn't sure why, but it was almost as if I had expected them to change.

"Should we reply?" I asked. "Or just not to drive them crazy."

Rin grinned. "I think Eri sounds like she really might find a way to eat us if you don't email her back."

I rolled my eyes, smiling, and began typing the message we would send to both Ayumi and Eri.

Hi guys it's Kagome and Rin!

Tokyo is really annoying, though I think Rin's fallen head over heels for it.

"Hey!" Rin objected.

Rin says, "hey!" lol

Rin glared at me, and then sighed, laughing. "Tell them about our friends and the people we hate and stuff. Tell them about Inuyasha." She gave me an evil smile.

I rolled my eyes, typing, We made a friend, her name is Sango. We met her at the mall. The mall is HUGE it's ridiculous! She's cool, she's really nice and funny and she's pretty strong too. We would know, seeing as she beats her friend Miroku all the time. He deserves it, though; he's a total pervert.

Rin and I grinned at each other, and Rin said, "Okay, now, are you going to tell them about a certain dog-eared half demon?"

I grimaced at her, and then typed, But there's this kid I can't stand, his name is Inuyasha, he's such a jerk! He refuses to call me by my name. It's driving me insane. He's half dog demon. He always annoys me, and he's really mean, too. I don't get what Sango sees in him. I mean, Miroku's a perv but at least he's nice. Inuyasha's just an idiot. No, even worse. He's an ASS. A TOTAL ASS. I hate him! And worst of all, me and him are partners for an Adult and Family Living project. You know, the one where you have to raise a baby doll? God I hate it! I hate him! I think we're going to end up killing each other AND the baby and failing the project.

"So you're not gonna tell them how cute he is?" Rin teased.

I glared at her, and then grinned. Rin thinks he's cute, I typed.

"WHAT?!"

Now she's yelling WHAT?!

Rin groaned.

And that's about it.

"What about Koga?" Rin asked.

"We're emailing them, not giving them a detailed report on our lives," I pointed out.

"Come on, they must miss us. And we miss them. This is the only way we can talk to them now."

That statement hit a nerve.

I sighed, typing, There are three wolf demons named Koga, Hakkaku, and Ginta. They seem pretty nice, even though Koga flirts with me a lot. But still, he's nice. And he and Inuyasha hate each other—and anybody who hates Inuyasha is okay by me. J

Rin laughed at this.

We ended the email there and sent it, both laughing at what we'd written and at our silly friends. But after the initial laughter had subsided, the smile faded. I missed my friends a lot.

"Does it hurt you reading these and writing this as much as it hurts me?" Rin asked quietly through a pained smile.

Always one step ahead of me.

I nodded gloomily. "Definitely. This sucks. I miss them—I even miss Eri's crush of the week rants."

Rin giggled, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "Well, at least we have each other."

"And what's that worth?" I joked.

She stuck her tongue out at me. I laughed, grinning.

Suddenly Rin's eyes lit up. "Hey, let's go back to the shrine."

"Why?"

"I want to see the Orb of Night again. And besides… don't you just want to check to make sure the Expulsion Pulse arrow thing is still safe?"

I nodded. She had me at both points.

**A/N: And that's the end of the chapter! Like it? REVIEW! Infinite thanks to all my readers for supporting and encouraging me—you guys are amazing—and special thanks to xXthenextbookworkXx, mika, k, ForeverisGone13, bear lover, and keiko-kun for reviewing! I love reading your reviews, and I welcome new reviewers as well as those of you who to review faithfully! Reading your reviews makes me feel giddy, and, of course, makes faster updates! Thanks so much, to all of you, and I expect the next chapter will be up within four days tops, probably less! **


	13. Final Straw

**A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry this is a day late, I was so busy yesterday I didn't get time to post it! And then I have to finish a Spanish project today, too, ugh. Anyway, here's chapter thirteen! Read and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: FINAL STRAW

We scampered across the grass and into the first section of the shrine, first making our way to the back of the shrine to check the arrow. It was still firmly lodged in the wall. After confirming its safety, we walked down into the den-like area behind the well.

Once again, we felt the need to whisper.

"How do you think we'll know when the Expulsion Pulse is wearing out?" Rin asked curiously.

I shrugged. "No idea. I imagine Kaede will be explaining some of that in this week's lesson, though."

Rin nodded, a little comforted.

We both turned toward the Orb of Night.

"It's so pretty," Rin said, reaching a hand out almost unconsciously toward the Orb. But she yanked it back quickly, remembering the cold wave she had felt when she had tried to touch the Orb of Night before. She looked at me, awed. "Pick it up, go on."

Hesitantly, I approached the Orb. It really seemed depthless, as if it were a window into another realm. Both hands out and slightly shaking, I grasped it lightly.

Rin stared at me in amazement.

"That's so cool," she whispered.

I felt a wind picking up around me. The edges of my vision were disappearing, Rin's words floated up and around my head, distorting into a murky film,

_That's so cool, so cool that's cool cool so, cool that's socool, that's so, stath looc os, so looc os cool sacos ool cooth cath scool…_

I felt myself almost sinking into the Orb, I felt its power radiating, drawing me toward it, drawing me into the night sky….

With a gasp I wrenched my hands away.

"Kagome?" Rin asked, rushing to my side.

Panting, hands on my knees, I just shook my head. I had to catch my breath.

"That was the longest I've ever held it for," I finally panted. "And I can't even do that. Some priestess I am."

"It takes tolerance," Rin said loyally. "Don't worry. I mean, I can't even touch the Orb."

"It feels… strange, to hold it," I said, glancing back at the Orb, resting silently on its pedestal. "It's like… it's like it's trying to draw me in."

Rin stared at me, a little alarmed. "I didn't notice anything wrong until you let go."

I nodded, taking that in. Looking at the Orb, I felt my body surge with determination. "I'm going to hold it again."

"Are you sure?" Rin asked anxiously. "I mean, what if… what if it _does _suck you in?"

I frowned. "I'm sure I'm just overreacting. I mean, it's a sphere. What could it suck me into?"

Rin bit her lip as I approached it, fingers outstretched.

"Kagome, Rin, Mom! I'm home!" a voice called.

We used Sota's arrival as an excuse to leave the Orb of Night. Sota walked into the yard, another boy by his side. He was shorter than Sota, with messy red hair, pointed ears, big green eyes, and a _huge_, bushy, yellow tail.

"Oh my gosh he is so cute!" Rin and I squealed, running to the boy.

He grimaced, yelping as we pinched his cheeks, rubbing his hair. "Ack! Help! I'm being attacked by girls!"

"Sorry," we immediately said, backing up.

"But you're so cute," I explained guiltily.

He grinned suddenly, and then _poof_, a huge plume of smoke erupted. When it cleared, he was a huge pink ball floating in the air. He made a scary face at us and boomed, "Am I cute NOW?"

Our eyes widened. And widened. And widened, until we could no longer hold ourselves in and screamed, "YEEEEEEEEES!"

He screeched, turning back into his old self. "Ah! You guys are weird," he squealed.

"Sorry," I apologized. "But you're so much cuter than my evil little brother."

The boy grinned wickedly. "You won't think that soon."

"What? What do you—"

He grabbed a tiny little stone statue from his pocket and tossed it to me. Immediately it transformed, pulling me down to the ground, my hand stuck to a large stone statue of Buddha.

"Aiee! What is this?" I yelped, trying to shake it off but succeeding only in knocking myself to the ground.

Sota and his evil little friend cackled maniacally. Finally Sota managed, "Kagome, Rin, meet Shippo. He's a fox demon."

Rin and I exchanged a glance. We knew all about fox demons, and they _loved _pranks.

This did not bode well for my getting free any time soon.

I groaned. "What did I do to you?!" I demanded angrily of Shippo.

"Maybe it was the 'cute' thing…?" Rin suggested confusedly.

"Shippo, this is a very funny trick, now could you please free me?" I asked, doing my best to sound polite.

He's just a little kid, he's not doing this out of spite.

That's what I told myself.

Shippo smiled at Sota. "Hmm… Sota, what do you think?"

Sota looked at me, thinking.

"SOTA!" I shrieked. "You'd better get your friend to get me free right now!"

Sota grinned. "You have to do my math homework for a month."

WHAT?!

I glared at him. "Look, Sota, I've been being nice to you, but I swear—"

"Take it or leave it," Sota said, he and Shippo smiling angelically.

I don't care how mischievous that fox demon kid is, when he smiles I forget all about the fact that I've got a huge stone Buddha attached to my arm.

But when he and Sota smirked, I growled.

"Fine. War it is."

I would find some other way to get free.

And then I heard something which made me go rigid.

"Oi! Shippo! Get the fuck over here right now! You're gonna get it, you little pipsqueak! You know just cause you can't control your prank urges, Mom sent ME to find you and drag you back screaming by your stupid tail!"

I would know that voice anywhere.

Rin stared at me in shock. "Is that…?"

I was paralyzed.

Shippo squealed, running around. "What do I do what do I do what do I do he's gonna kill me!!!!!!" He stopped running, eyes wide, face frenzied, and then pleaded to me and Rin, "Please! Hide me!"

To our great surprise, Shippo scampered behind us, cowering.

"Shippo you little dipshit what the hell are you—"

Now he was here. Inuyasha could see us.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Inuyasha and I shouted at the same time.

I glared at him. "It's my house, idiot."

"Ass. I'm just here for my little fuck of a cousin. Shippo, you—"

Inuyasha saw it.

A wide grin spread across his face. "…Just made my day," he finished.

Shippo peeked out from behind me and Rin. "What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously.

Inuyasha didn't even spare him a glance. He was grinning evilly at me, eyes wide. "It was _you _Shippo decided to trick? Ha. Only an idiot would fall for that kind of thing."

"Hey!" Rin, Shippo, and I shouted simultaneously.

"Kagome's not an idiot!" Rin said firmly.

"My magic can trick smart people too!" Shippo snapped. He grinned. "It's only you who's an idiot, Inuyasha."

I smiled at Shippo. "You don't think I'm an idiot, do you?"

Shippo smiled up at me. "Of course not. You're Sota's sister, and Sota's been preaching about you for the whole day."

Sota gasped, flushing. "What? No! I—that's not true."

But I smiled widely at him. "Sota! I love you!" I squealed, trying to hug him and failing miserably, flinging myself straight into the dirt and almost taking Rin, Shippo, and Sota with me.

Inuyasha stood there and began to cackle. "Ha! This is so going on youtube!"

"Oh no it's not!" I growled, struggling to stand. I glared at Shippo. "Can you take this thing off me?"

Shippo bit his lip, and then said finally, "Yeah, sure."

"No not yet," Inuyasha objected, eyes widening in horror.

Shippo smirked at him. "You know what, I think I _will _free her. It's much more fun pranking you." He glanced at me. "And I feel kind of bad pranking a girl too."

Rin and I raised our eyebrows at him, but I decided I would save my objections until _after _the statue ceased pulling me to the ground.

Inuyasha smiled menacingly at his smaller cousin, who quailed. "Shippo, if you take that off her, you will come back crying to your Mama with several new lumps on your head."

"Ah! B-but, Inuyasha…" Shippo wailed.

"Stop bullying him," I said, frowning. "What do you think you're doing, picking on a little kid?"

Inuyasha smirked at me. "I'm not bullying him. I'm bullying you."

I glared, struggling to a sitting position, trying not to cry.

Rin saw my precarious state: one half of me seethed with rage, the other wailed with hurt. Endeavoring to help me up, she grabbed me by the arms and pulled me to my knees.

"Shippo, please free me right now," I choked out through gritted teeth.

Inuyasha approached us. Shippo glanced wildly between him and me. "Sorry Kagome," he squeaked. "Really! I am! But Inuyasha's really mean!"

I grimaced at him. "Believe me, I know."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed at this. He kept advancing until he squatted right in front of me. Rin, Sota, and Shippo backed up, intimidated.

I did my best to hold his gaze as he stared at me, our faces less than a foot apart. His golden eyes were incredibly intense, as if he were trying to read my eyes as hard as I was trying to read his.

I held back a shudder.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" he muttered, smirking. His breath wafted across my face. "Letting Shippo trick you."

"If I recall, it's you who's the one making him keep this on me now," I growled.

"So you don't blame him at all?"

"He's a little kid. And besides, why would I blame Shippo when I've got a better asshole to pin the fault on?"

Inuyasha grinned. "You shouldn't call people assholes when you're pinned to the ground by a rock, you know," he said, sitting casually in front of me.

"Oh? Is that a threat?"

"No. Just some polite advice."

"Jerk."

"Wench."

"My name is Kagome."

"My name is Inuyasha."

"You're also a jerk."

"Well you're a bitch."

I chewed the inside of my lip, wondering why, why, _why _I let him hurt me like this.

This was the last straw. I wouldn't take this crap from him anymore. I didn't need to.

I wiped the furious expression off my face, blinking back tears and finally managing to dry them. My eyes were cold, my gaze deadly, my face empty.

"Go screw yourself," I finally said, very quietly. With those words, I tilted my head away from him, and leaned back against the statue which held me prisoner.

I would not allow him to hurt me again.

**A/N: And there it is! Inuyasha is so mean to her. If I were her, I'd say worse than that. **

**This is a shortie, so I'll post the next chapter as soon as I get a review! If I get a review today, it'll be up tonight at latest! Thanks, all my readers! I love you all! And finally, thanks to the amazing people who reviewed the last chapter: xXthenextbookworkXx, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, beautiful-surreal, I am the Wind Mizuki Kay, and Maiden of the Silver Fires! Once again, my apologies if I missed anybody, please tell me if I ever do so! So, review, and I'll see you soon!**


	14. Why Girls Are Impossible

**A/N: Hi! Well, here's the chapter! Thanks to xXthenextbookworkXx, I am the Wind Mizuki Kay, and Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag for reviewing! You're awesome!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: WHY GIRLS ARE IMPOSSIBLE

"Inuyasha, does touching a woman's bottom destroy mutual trust in two people?"

Inuyasha froze. _Stupid. New level of stupid._

He rolled his eyes. "Miroku, if you haven't figured out by now, there's no point in trying."

Miroku stared at him anxiously. Inuyasha barely looked at him, turning the steering wheel of his new, shiny car and making a left onto Crescent Ave. It wasn't that he really cared about being a careful driver; rather, Miroku just wasn't worth looking at right now.

But Miroku whined, "But I need help! I don't understand it! Whenever I pay attention to Sango she hits me! And then when I ignore her like she tells me to, she gets mad and hurt and _still _hits me! I'm suffering severe collateral damage to my skull!"

"Miroku, even _before _you met Sango you must've suffered collateral damage to your skull."

Miroku glared at him. "As my _best friend_, I would think you would be able to offer me at least a bit of sympathy."

Inuyasha turned to grin at him. "Dude, I'm no perv, nor will I ever be."

"That would be _empathy, _Inuyasha. All I'm asking for is a little _sympathy. _Just consider, for one moment, what you would feel like in my position—"

"Idiot, I wouldn't have gotten into your position cause I don't fucking grab girls' butts."

Miroku huffed. "Well, you didn't have to say it so rudely."

Inuyasha raised his eyebrows. "You want me to coat it in sugar first, sweetie?" he asked sarcastically.

Miroku glared. "No. Just don't be so rude."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, looking away from him.

_And what has me so pissed off again?_

_ Oh. Right. Kassome Higurashi. _

_ That… that bitch! She can't be nice for two seconds. Just gets on her high horse and says I'm to blame, that crap. I can't believe that idiot teacher made us partners. _

_ "Okay. If that's the way you want it… ah… Kagome… you'll be paired with… Menomaru."_

Inuyasha hissed.

_That fucker, paired with Kagome… I couldn't have let it happen and still called myself a halfway decent guy. I had no choice. There was no choice to make. I mean, it's my reputation at stake! If I let some poor girl end up with that jackass, all the other girls and guys would hate me for the rest of my fucking life. It had nothing to do with her_.

"Menomaru…" Inuyasha growled.

"What?" Miroku asked distractedly, humming along to the radio.

"None of your business," Inuyasha snapped.

Miroku raised an eyebrow at him and then rolled his eyes, sighing, "Teenagers."

_"What, you don't have any _half_ demon baby dolls?"_

Inuyasha hissed under his breath.

_"Actually, _technically_, it would have to be a quarter demon… right? Or maybe half demons can't even pass on the gene. I wouldn't be surprised, you're pretty weak as it is."_

Inuyasha squeezed his clawed hands into fists. Damn Gatenmaru. And they hadn't gotten to have their fight, either.

_I swear, I'll find some excuse to fight him again… and then I'll beat the shit out of him._

Inuyasha grinned.

Miroku smiled wryly. "Somebody is daydreaming about violence, I can tell."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Stay out of it, idiot."

"So who is it this time? Not dear Kagome, I hope."

"No!" Inuyasha hissed, swiping at Miroku with a claw. He growled, "Gatenmaru. And Menomaru. Both of them."

Miroku raised his eyebrows. "What did those fools do now?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Not anything for you to worry your little head about, idiot."

"B-but, you're my best friend!" Miroku gasped, eyes tearing up.

"I'm not gonna be your best friend much longer if you keep acting like an ass," Inuyasha threatened. "And besides, you've gotta stop groping Sango. She will never go out with you if she feels like she's just a bunch of curves to you."

Miroku looked away, muttering something that sounded like, "…not just a bunch of curves…"

Inuyasha grinned. "She's a cool girl. Too cool for you."

Miroku glanced at him.

"What do you like about her?"

"I…" Miroku searched for the right words. "I guess… I admire her strength. And her bravery."

Inuyasha stared at him. "So… pretty much, you like it when she beats the crap out of you."

Miroku grinned sheepishly.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Is there anything _else _you having feelings about for her?"

"Well… I… um… she always has been very dear to me, and I feel that she has great intelligence."

Inuyasha eyed him carefully. "She means that much to you, does she?"

Miroku nodded earnestly.

"THEN STOP FUCKING GROPING HER ASS, IDIOT!"

Inuyasha pulled up in the driveway of his mansion. He and Miroku hopped out of the car and, as they always did when at Inuyasha's house, headed straight for the video games.

About two and a half hours later, Inuyasha's mother, Izayoi, walked into the room.

"Inuyasha?" she called.

Inuyasha glanced up. "Can this wait just a second? I'm creaming Miroku."

"You'd think you would get bored of beating me eventually," Miroku commented.

"You'd think you'd get bored of losing," Inuyasha retorted.

Izayoi grinned. "Boys, it's not that I'm not _thrilled _you're both completely addicted to violent war games, but you need to take a break from that for a second. It's important."

Inuyasha groaned. "What could be more important than me breaking my record of how fast I can kill Miroku?!"

His mom's pealing laughter rang in the room, and he grinned—although he didn't stop playing the game.

Izayoi smirked at him.

Finally Inuyasha said, "So are you gonna tell us what's going on, or just stand there and make us feel stupid?"

"Well, standing here and making you feel stupid is okay too, but right now I have something for you to take care of. It's Shippo."

Inuyasha groaned. "Again? Can't you take care of it?"

Izayoi frowned at him. "You know that you'll be quicker than I will. You're the only one who can calm him down."

"What's he done this time?"

"He's pranking a poor girl over at his friend's house."

"Okay, okay, fine."

Inuyasha grimaced. _I'll just get this over with and then I can go kill Miroku again._

Izayoi left the room and Miroku grinned. "Inuyasha and Miroku to the rescue!"

"Uh, no. Just Inuyasha. Sorry, but you'd make everything worse and you'll just slow me down," Inuyasha pointed out with full honesty.

Miroku sighed. "Fine, fine. Idiot."

"Ass."

"Fool."

"Bitch."

"Bitch?"

"Bitch."

"Your dear mother always seems to know when our Shippo is getting himself into trouble," Miroku said, a little awed and a little creeped out.

Inuyasha grinned at him. "Yeah, Mom's freaky that way. Anyway, I'll see you in like ten minutes."

"See ya."

Izayoi glanced anxiously at him as her son headed out the door. "Don't hurt Shippo!" she warned.

"Do I ever?" he asked, grinning.

He headed out of the house.

"…very badly?" Inuyasha added as he started running down the street, sniffing out Shippo's scent.

The faster he ran, the more aggravated he became. _That pipsqueak, he's gonna get it. I was just gonna win against Miroku, too! It would've been a new record! Damn him!_

_ Geez, stupid fox. I can't believe I'm stuck with a fox demon as a cousin. And even worse, a LITTLE fox demon. _

_ I wonder what he did this time. _

Sniffing Shippo out, Inuyasha realized he was headed toward Jewel Shrine. He was so enraged that it was only as he was running through the gate that he realized.

_Hey… doesn't Kagome live here…?_

"Oi! Shippo! Get the fuck over here right now! You're gonna get it, you little pipsqueak! You know just cause you can't control your prank urges, Mom sent ME to find you and drag you back screaming by your stupid tail!" Inuyasha shouted as he flung open the gates, with full intent of beating Shippo to a pulp.

Inuyasha caught a timid, "Is that…?" and then, of course, Shippo's cowardly screaming.

_Little pipsqueak, _Inuyasha thought. _I'll kill him._

"What do I do what do I do what do I do he's gonna kill me!!!!!!" _Damn right. _"Please! Hide me!"

"Shippo you little dipshit what the hell are you—"

Then he saw them.

SHIT! It _was _her!

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Inuyasha and Kagome shouted at the same time.

She glared at him. "It's my house, idiot."

"Ass. I'm just here for my little fuck of a cousin. Shippo, you—"

Inuyasha saw it.

_Ha! Hahahahahahahaha!_

A wide grin spread across his face. "…Just made my day," he finished.

And oh, what a wonderful day this was turning out to be.

Shippo peeked out from behind the girls. "What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously.

Inuyasha didn't even spare him a glance. He was too busy grinning evilly at Kagome, eyes wide. "It was _you _Shippo decided to trick? Ha. Only an idiot would fall for that kind of thing."

_Look at that idiot… stuck to Shippo's stupid statue._

This comment was met with a chorus of, "Hey!"s.

"Kagome's not an idiot!" Rin said firmly.

"My magic can trick smart people too!" Shippo snapped. He grinned. "It's only you who's an idiot, Inuyasha."

Kagome smiled at Shippo. "You don't think I'm an idiot, do you?"

_Jeez, why is she so nice to him? He fucking attached her to a statue, and she's all SMILEY. I'd be damn PISSED._

Shippo smiled back up at her. "Of course not. You're Sota's sister, and Sota's been preaching about you for the whole day."

Sota gasped, flushing. "What? No! I—that's not true."

But Kagome smiled widely at him. "Sota! I love you!"

To Inuyasha's great amusement, Kagome's hugging attempt turned into a face plant in the dirt.

Inuyasha stood there and began to cackle. "Ha! This is so going on youtube!"

"Oh no it's not!" She growled, struggling to stand. Inuyasha bit his lip… she was so cute when she was angry, he had to admit. _Wait, what the hell? _He felt suddenly disoriented.

Meanwhile, Kagome glared at Shippo. "Can you take this thing off me?"

Shippo grimaced nervously, and then said finally, "Yeah, sure."

"No not yet," Inuyasha objected, eyes widening in horror.

_And deprive me of the funniest thing I've seen in years? I don't think so._

Shippo smirked at him. "You know what, I think I _will _free her. It's much more fun pranking you." He glanced at Kagome. "And I feel kind of bad pranking a girl too."

Rin and Kagome raised their eyebrows at him, but apparently thought better of their complaints and kept silent.

Inuyasha smiled menacingly at his smaller cousin, who, to his delight, shrank back. _She can't go free. Not until I've had fun with this. _"Shippo, if you take that off her, you will come back crying to your Mama with several new lumps on your head."

"Ah! B-but, Inuyasha…" Shippo wailed.

"Stop bullying him," Kagome said. _You stupid idiot, _Inuyasha thought, a little amused and a little irritated—but more amused. "What do you think you're doing, picking on a little kid?"

Inuyasha focused on her, and slowly let a wide grin spread across his face. "I'm not bullying him. I'm bullying you."

She looked so pitiful, on the ground like that. He couldn't help but make her feel worse. _She brings out the worst in me… _he realized. _It's one of the reasons I hate her… cause I can't help but hate her…_

_ Why am I such a jerk to her?_

Kagome's eyes became unreadable, seeming to glisten as if with restrained tears.

_Don't tell me she's fucking crying! Is she? No, she can't be. She wouldn't… I couldn't have done that to her._

_ What am I thinking?! She's a bitch! I don't give a shit how she feels!_

But Rin, on the other hand, _did _seem to care, because she gathered her sister in her arms and pulled her clumsily to her knees. This seemed to make Kagome feel better—better enough to be pissed at Inuyasha, that is.

"Shippo, please free me right now," she ground out.

Inuyasha grinned. The near-tears thing had been a little weird… but now that it was over, and she was furious, he could enjoy himself again.

Inuyasha walked toward them, taking his time. Shippo glanced wildly between him and the girl. Inuyasha gave him a deadly glare, flexing his claws.

"Sorry Kagome," Shippo squeaked. "Really! I am! But Inuyasha's really mean!"

Kagome grimaced at him. "Believe me, I know."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed at this. He wasn't sure why what she said bothered him. After all, he _was _being mean to her.

_But it couldn't bother a blockhead like Kagome, _he thought.

Or maybe convinced himself, but Inuyasha was too much of a blockhead himself to realize.

He kept advancing until he squatted right in front of the girl. Rin, Sota, and Shippo backed up, intimidated.

Inuyasha leaned toward her, inhaling the scent which wafted off of her smooth skin. _What the hell is this… it's not like other humans. It's so good…._

The scent intoxicated him, causing Inuyasha to lean closer than he had originally intended. When he finally forced himself to stop, their faces were just inches apart.

_So close… _he realized.

He wanted to pull back, not liking these feelings, but the proximity seemed to unnerve Kagome so he decided to stay. He saw her struggle to hold his gaze as he forced his most intense gaze upon her. What was he feeling…?

He smirked, seeing her almost shudder. "You're an idiot, you know that?" he whispered. "Letting Shippo trick you."

"If I recall, it's you who's the one making him keep this on me now," she growled.

This really annoyed him. _Why does she keep defending him? That little piece of shit's the reason she's in this position in the first place._

"So you don't blame him at all?"

"He's a little kid," she said as if she dismissed his ever having played this trick on her in the first place. _Can this girl really be so unselfish? _Inuyasha thought, grudgingly surprised. But then she smirked. "And besides, why would I blame Shippo when I've got a better asshole to pin the fault on?"

Inuyasha grinned. _Now she shows her true colors. _"You shouldn't call people assholes when you're pinned to the ground by a rock, you know," he said. His muscles had unknotted now that the initial effect her scent had had on him was diminishing. He sat casually in front of her, cross-legged.

"Oh? Is that a threat?" Kagome asked.

"No. Just some polite advice."

"Jerk."

"Wench," he spat.

"My name is Kagome."

_I know that, idiot. _"My name is Inuyasha."

"You're also a jerk."

"Well you're a bitch."

He watched as her teeth gnawed on the inside of her lower lip. _If she isn't careful it's gonna bleed… feh, what do I care?_

But he watched in shock as the fury melted from her face and Kagome blinked hard. A glimpse of tears was seen for the briefest instant… then they were gone. What replaced them was the coldest, deadliest gaze Inuyasha had ever seen. Even deadlier than _her _gaze had been, when _she _was angry.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. _Did I… nah, I couldn't have… hurt her?_

But she then said something Inuyasha would have never expected to hear come out of Kagome Higurashi's mouth.

"Go screw yourself."

It wasn't an insult. It was just a statement—which made it a thousand times worse. With those words, she tilted her head away from him, and leaned back against the statue holding her to the ground.

Leaving the hanyou and all company absolutely stunned.

**A/N: Sorry to anyone who was disappointed that this was the same incident, but in Inuyasha's point of view! I hope it was good anyway. : ) Well, this chapter was mainly to demonstrate Inuyasha's unparalleled idiocy when it comes to dealing with other people! You want to find out how Kagome gets out of this one and what happens next? REVIEW! Once again, an estimated two to four days give or take till I update depending on how many reviews I get! You guys, my readers, you all rock! **


	15. Ice Kagome

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: ICE KAGOME

"What the hell?!" Inuyasha demanded.

I kept my head turned stiffly away from him. _Don't look at him, he means nothing to you. _"Shippo," I said calmly, "Come here and free me."

Shippo's eyes widened. Inuyasha growled at him. But for the first time in Shippo's life, he had found something which scared him even more than Inuyasha.

He jumped without hesitation to my side and freed me from the spell. I smiled gratefully at him. "Thanks, Shippo. And don't ever do that again."

"No way," he said, awed, shaking his head rapidly. "K-Kagome, you're… you're AWESOME!"

To my surprise, he jumped into my lap, knocking me to the ground. I yelped, laughing. I'm… awesome?

"Oi!" I resisted the urge to hiss as a clawed hand was waved in my face. "Hey, I'm right here, you know!"

I struggled to keep calm. _Calm, steady, calm, steady, that's right Kagome, calm and steady…._

"What about you?" I asked indifferently.

He stared at me. "Wha… hey! What the hell… are you ignoring me?"

"No," I said, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. _Of course I wasn't ignoring him, I had just SPOKEN to him, hadn't I?_

"Then… what. Aren't you angry?"

I shrugged. "Not particularly. You're immature, I can't help that."

He grinned. "You ARE angry."

I looked at him, eyes blank, and he restrained a shiver. "No," I said plainly.

Everyone in the room, my siblings in particular, shuddered.

Rin and Sota were staring at me, eyes terrified. They know that I have three levels of _mad_. First level, glare. Second level, shout. Third and most lethal level: indifference. Like I was doing now. My friends back in Okinawa, as well as Rin and Sota, used to call this deadly mode "Ice Kagome."

"I don't know what your name is, but you shouldn't call my sister a bitch," Sota said firmly to Inuyasha.

"Keh! Why should I listen to a nine year old?" he spat, standing up and turning on Sota.

"I'm ten, and cause I know what's coming to you and you deserve every minute of it."

I smiled at Sota. "You know I love you, right?"

Sota grinned at me.

"What the fuck are you talking about? What's "coming" to me?" Inuyasha demanded.

Sota shrugged. "Hey, you asked for it."

Inuyasha stared at him. "YOU TWERP! You're just like your sister!"

"Inuyasha, you shouldn't be starting fights," Rin chided him, biting her lip to resist a smile.

"Yeah," Shippo said. "You can go now!"

We all looked at him expectantly.

"Wh-what? Y-you just want me to… leave?"

Rin laughed. "Why'd you come here anyway?"

"To… right! To stop Shippo from hurting some girl! But then it wasn't some girl, it was _you_," he taunted me.

I just shrugged. And this seemed to piss him off.

Knocking away anyone in his path, he came to crouch in front of me again. "What the hell is your problem?"

I shrugged again, face open and eyes cold and blank. "I don't have a problem with you. But you could leave, if you want, if it annoys you to stay here."

"F-feh! Wench!"

After a moment of silence and me staring past his head, he suddenly said, "You're not even gonna complain about me not calling you your name anymore?!"

"I'm not interested in what you call me."

"Fuck this, maybe I _should _go screw myself," he spat, golden eyes furious. "Is that what you want?"

Rin giggled. I very much resisted the urge to do so as well.

"If it's what you want," I said calmly.

His eyes widened, and Shippo giggled. Something told me that none of this had gone over the fox demon's red head.

"Keh. Idiot."

"Why do you keep saying _keh?_" Rin asked curiously.

He whirled on her. "Cause I'm annoyed, stupid!" He growled at me. "With _this _stupid…"

I drowned out the rest of the words he used. They bounced off of me as if I were cloaked in a shield.

It enraged him. And that, of course, was the point.

He stood up. "I would've thought you'd be making me work on that stupid baby project with you now anyway."

Sota, Rin, and Shippo all exchanged a smirk, and then burst into giggles.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "Shut up! It's not what it sounds like!" he hissed.

This just made them laugh harder. I was unsure whether to laugh or whether they were laughing at _me_, too.

But I had my indifferent façade to keep up, so I (with some effort) ignored their giggling and Inuyasha's pathetic protests and told him, "I don't care anymore what you do. I will take care of the baby doll all by myself if you don't want to do anything."

He—and Rin, Shippo, and Sota—stared at me. Rin and Sota especially; they know that I teach a hard lesson to anybody who ever tries to get me to let that kind of free ride fly.

Inuyasha raised his eyebrows grinning. "Really? Great. So, I can just walk away, and you'll do the whole thing for me?"

In emphasis, he began taking taunting steps backward towards the gate, still facing me.

I just shrugged plainly. "I told you, I don't care what you do."

"And I'll get the credit for it… and an A…"

I nodded, face blank. "If it's what you choose."

"And I won't get in trouble…"

Wow, he was slow, wasn't he?

I nodded again, resisting the urge to speak to him like he was five. "You won't get in trouble. You're free to leave. We don't ever have to see each other's faces again."

Hmm… that would be hard, seeing as Rin and I were now friends with Sango and Miroku.

He grinned. "Great by me. So… I guess I'll go now. And Shippo, you piece of shit, if you bother anybody and get me sent back here then I'm going to rake my claws down your fluffy tail. Got it?"

Shippo gulped.

With that, Inuyasha saluted me somewhat doubtfully but _very _mockingly and backed away through the gates.

Rin immediately grinned at me. "That was amazing!" she gasped, hugging me. "Way to show him, Kagome. Keep it up."

Sota frowned. "I don't know. It seemed like that kid was annoyed at first, but then he was grinning. I don't know if it's working."

Rin rolled her eyes emphatically. "Are you kidding? Of course it's working! Did you _see _his face, he was clearly irritated."

Shippo grinned at me. "Great job. You're really cool. Except I don't think Inuyasha's done yet."

We frowned at him. "Huh?"

He grinned, pretending to check a watch on his wrist. "Um… let's see… eight… seven… six… five… four… three…"

"THAT'S IT YOU ASSHOLES!"

We jumped, staring up at Inuyasha as he stomped up to us and pulled _me _to my feet by the collar of my shirt.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, playing games?" Inuyasha snarled in my face. I had to admit, I was frightened. Something in his face, right now, was scaring me. However, Shippo, Rin, and Sota didn't seem to notice it and started shaking with laughter—probably because _they _weren't the ones about to have their neck broken by a psychopathic teenage half demon.

My gaze was cold. "Put me down _now_."

"Keh. Not ignoring me now, are you?"

"Put me _down_, Inuyasha Takahashi."

His eyes widened, his nostrils flared. Around the edges of his eyes, rid rims began to appear. I stared, transfixed and terrified but doing my best not to show it.

Shippo noticed it too. "Inuyasha… calm down…"

"You're hurting her!" Rin shouted angrily.

"Stop it!" Sota shouted, pounding on his back.

Inuyasha and I held our gaze for a long time… and slowly, the red receded.

Inuyasha's eyes widened, and his face formed the purest expression I've seen on it since I met him—shock. He looked down at his hand, clutching my shirt collar, and unclenched his clawed fingers. With a gasp I fell to the ground, standing up quickly, shaken and absolutely _furious. _

Rin and Sota stepped back.

Shippo began shouting. "What's _wrong _with you?! You were… you could have choked her!"

Eyes wide, Inuyasha stared in bewilderment at all of us. Finally he said, "I…"

I raised my eyebrows coolly. "Yes, Inuyasha?"

He stared at me, and narrowed his eyes. "Look. I didn't mean to. I just… I was pissed, okay? You got me really pissed off."

"_You _got _me _really pissed off!" I snapped, breaking control altogether.

He grinned. "See? Doesn't that feel good? Just let it all out, come on."

"Why you…! God! You… you ass!"

He grinned again. "I really do have to go. I've got a date with Miroku to finish up. But hey, I guess I'll see you soon for that project, right?"

I stared at him.

He snorted. "Look, I don't really trust you alone with the _baby_, okay? Especially cause it's a demon. Might be too strong for a weak human like you."

He grinned at me and I nearly growled.

"What are you suggesting?" I ground out.

"We're partners," Inuyasha reminded me, smiling. "So… my house, tomorrow, after school."

My eyes widened in shock. Rin, Sota, and Shippo stared at me.

Immediately, several explanations ran through my head. Number one, he was trying to make up for the almost-breaking-my-neck-thing. Two, he had a multiple-personality-disorder. Three, and personally, I think the most likely, he is planning on murdering me and burying my body in the backyard.

So I narrowed my eyes and asked him what the hell he was doing.

He grinned tantalizingly. "I thought I was being nice. But if you'd rather do it all by yourself, then fine."

He knew he had me there. Because honestly, now that I'd given up the whole indifference thing, there was no reason for me to do it by myself.

"I don't want to do it by myself," I muttered.

His grin widened. "Great! Well then, wench, I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, he began walking down the yard.

"MY NAME IS KAGOME, YOU IDIOT!"

He just laughed, giving me a mock bow and leaping straight over the gate.

**A/N: Hey guys! On the downside, I think I just had some kind of mental breakdown… but on the bright side, I applied awhile ago to a specialized, insanely selective high school and I learned today that I made it to the interview phase!!! So, yay! Anyway, thanks to Maiden of the Silver Fires, beautiful-surreal, k, and xXthenextbookworkXx for reviewing chapter fourteen! **

**So, will Inuyasha murder Kagome and bury her body in his backyard? Well, you'll have to wait and see! Next chapter will be posted by Monday… but if I get four reviews before then, it'll be up sooner! : ) So, review! Anonymous reviews are completely welcome! I hope you liked the chapter! **


	16. Feelings

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: FEELINGS

I tried not to think about what had just happened until I absolutely had to.

The rest of the day, and the next school day, passed fairly uneventfully. In gym, with our teacher, Muso, I learned that for the first time in my life I would now be learning combat training.

"They didn't teach us that in Okinawa," I said.

"Why not?" Miroku, Sango, and Inuyasha asked at the same time. They seemed incredulous.

I shrugged. "Okinawa's a pretty quiet place. Not many demons, not much crime. I guess it's not the same here." I wrinkled my nose, trying not to sound too disdainful.

Inuyasha smirked. "We all know how much you hate Tokyo."

Sango and Miroku frowned at me. "Why do you hate Tokyo?"

I shifted, a little uncomfortable under their stares, unsure what the right answer here was. "I don't _hate _it, exactly, I just… uh…"

"Strongly dislike? Want to crush with a passion? Loathe?" Miroku suggested innocently.

I grinned. "Yeah, okay. Any of those would work."

"But how could _anyone _hate Tokyo?!" Sango exclaimed, shocked. "Kagome, you can't be human!"

I grinned. "Last time I checked, unfortunately, I'm still human."

"Unfortunately?" Miroku asked skeptically.

I shrugged. "I mostly just added it for effect. But… there have been times when I've wished I was something else, whether to escape from my feelings or just to be able to do something really cool."

"You already _can _do something really cool," Sango said, rolling her eyes. "You're a _priestess, _remember?"

"But I don't know squat about my powers!" I complained. "That doesn't count until I know how to use them."

"Which, by the looks of it, isn't gonna be for a while," Inuyasha commented.

I glared at him. "What is your problem?"

"You," he said, grinning at me.

I shouldn't have expected anything else.

So in most resepcts, the day was pretty normal. Inuyasha was a jerk, Miroku was a pervert, Sango slapped him, and Rin and I watched everything and giggled. Except, of course, when Inuyasha was mean to me. There was _nothing _about that which could make me want to giggle. Our shouting matches grew more frequent and more embarrassing, and all this reinforced the idea into my head that, through one way or another, our little "meeting" today afterschool would end in murder.

Probably mine, but I liked to think that maybe it wouldn't be.

I hadn't told Sango or Miroku that I was going to Inuyasha's house—I figured it was just too complicated to explain (especially since I myself didn't understand it). Cause I knew, and I knew that they would notice, that he hadn't really _had _to invite me over. If he wanted his share of the work that much, we could just trade the baby off at school each day, like we'd decided to do anyway.

Luckily, Rin caught on and didn't mention it either. So as we grabbed our backpacks from our lockers at the end of school, we held a fairly normal conversation.

I turned, preparing to start walking, and found myself face to face with silver hair and golden eyes.

And dog ears.

"Ah! Inuyasha!" I yelped, jumping backwards.

He grinned. "Hey wench. Don't make yourself look like an idiot while I have to be near you, okay?"

Sango snorted, smirking. "Sorry Yash, but when you two are near each other, that's impossible for _both _of you."

Inuyasha and I growled.

"So what are you here for?" Sango asked.

"Her," Inuyasha grunted.

I sighed, leaning back against my locker. Oh no.

Rin made a _you'd better think fast _face at me, while Sango raised her eyebrows so far they disappeared into her hairline.

"I… uh…" I stuttered.

Inuyasha grinned at me. "Were you keeping this a secret or something?"

"What? Well… I didn't see any reason to mention it."

He snorted. "You're telling me you're _embarrassed?_"

"No, I just… it would be hard to explain."

"Are you guys hanging out or something?" Sango asked, confused.

"Just for a project!" I said hastily.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Keh, she knows that; I wouldn't be caught dead with you for any other reason."

"Nice to know," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Well, this is great!" Sango squealed in excitement. "You guys can go bond, I don't care what your excuse is, this is great! And meanwhile… me and Rin are going to the mall!"

"What?!" Rin and I gasped.

"So you guys get to go to the mall while I'm stuck with this idiot?" I moaned.

They were _so low._

Rin grimaced guiltily. "Uh… Sango, I…"

"No, it's fine," I sighed. "Leave me behind. I don't feel abandoned at all. I'm totally fine. By me a shirt that will look good on a mutilated corpse, will you?"

Inuyasha growled at me. "What are you suggesting?"

I wagged my finger at him. "You shouldn't assume stuff that I might not be insinuating."

"Anyway, you guys go have fun," Sango ordered, pushing us away from them as she pulled Rin down the hallway.

We stopped, staring at each other. Were we really doing this?

I quirked one eyebrow. "You were the one who invited me, just for the record."

"Keh, who says I wasn't? Come on wench, let's get this over with."

We left the building and started walking. After a few turns, we'd left the people behind.

It was a nice neighborhood. Not as nice as Okinawa, of course, but still nice.

I sighed. "Inuyasha, why did you invite me over?"

"For the project."

"But we have nothing to _do _with the project."

"Yeah, well, when the doll starts crying you can panic over it and I can laugh at you," Inuyasha said, flashing me a grin.

I glared at him. "My torment is as fascinating as TV, huh?"

He snorted.

We walked in silence until I said, "Is this an apology? For yesterday?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "What's there to apologize for?"

I gaped at him. "Uh… well… the _choking me _thing?!"

"Keh, why would I apologize to _you?_"

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

"Don't call me that."

"Whatever."

Would it kill this idiot to just, for once, call me by my name?

We walked in silence for the rest of the time until we came to his house. Except it wasn't a house.

It was a mansion.

"Oh my god," I muttered, gaping at the long, stone driveway, the fountain, the trees, the _huge _mansion resting behind the gates….

He grinned at me. "Welcome to my house, and quit your drooling before you contaminate the driveway."

I just gawked, too amazed to think of anything to snap back at him.

We walked down the driveway, reaching the front doors and the porch. Afraid I might be lost, I followed Inuyasha inside.

"Um…" I stuttered, "What do your parents do for a living?"

"Ever heard of Takahashi Games?"

I gasped. I'd known other Takahashis, and it had never occurred to me that Inuyasha might be _the _Takahashi.

"No," I said immediately, my trademark immaturity in full force.

He rolled his eyes. "Don't bother lying; you're terrible at it.

"My dad's the president of the industry."

"That's… cool," I said reluctantly. "My brother loves those games."

Inuyasha grinned. "Doesn't everyone?"

"Idiot."

"But I'm a rich idiot."

"Makes it even worse."

"Hi Inuyasha," a woman called, coming down the grand staircase.

She had black hair, and the resemblance in face was too distinct to not see that Inuyasha was her son.

"Hey Mom," Inuyasha called back casually.

The woman stopped in front of me, smiling. "Hi, I'm Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother. Are you one of Inuyasha's friends?"

I grimaced. "Just a partner for a project."

"Oh, okay. So what's your name?"

"Kagome Higurashi," I said, glaring at Inuyasha. He smirked at me, and I resisted fuming.

"Nice to meet you, Kagome," Izayoi said kindly. I wondered how such a nice woman's genes could have been mutated to create the boy standing next to me.

"You too," I said, shaking her hand and smiling back.

Inuyasha grunted. "Can we get this over with?"

Izayoi chided him, "Don't be rude." She grinned at me. "I'm sorry if he's been bothering you, Kagome," she said somewhat wryly, as if she knew exactly what had been going on.

I grinned at her, not really sure of what to say because I didn't want to insult her son in front of her.

Izayoi waved and left. Inuyasha led me into another room, which I quickly realized was some kind of living room and gaming room, with couches, gaming chairs, and a _gargantuan _TV.

Lifestyle of the rich and irritating.

I stared at the room until Inuyasha snapped me out of my daze. "Idiot, don't stand there gawking, let's get down to business."

"Since when do you care about schoolwork?" I asked skeptically.

"Look, we're supposed to make some stupid journal about the baby and what it's like to raise it, right?" Inuyasha asked. He dug around in a drawer, grabbed a pad of paper, and threw it at me. "Here you go, start writing."

At that moment, a muffled crying sound began to come from my backpack.

"Oh no," I moaned, digging the doll out of the bag.

"What does it want?" Inuyasha hissed.

"Um… food, maybe?"

He smirked at me.

I gasped. "You pervert! No wonder you're friends with Miroku."

He rolled his eyes. "Idiot, I wasn't really _thinking _about it and I'm nothing like that lech."

"What does it want… oh, right! Suikotsu gave us demon baby formula, let's try that."

"It's not _real _baby formula," Inuyasha reminded me as I took the plastic bottle out of the bag.

"Well, it's a bottle, so shut it," I snapped, jamming the bottle into the doll's mouth.

Slowly, it quieted, sucking on the bottle.

So I put it on the couch and, predictably, it broke into sobs. Who knew pieces of plastic could be so aggravating?

"Gah!" I gasped. "I am _never _having kids!"

I grabbed the doll, cradling it, gently cooing to it. Hmm. I am cooing to a scrap of plastic. See what Tokyo's reduced me to?

"This is so stupid," I moaned.

"Keh, of course it's stupid, it's school."

"All right. It's your turn."

"To what?"

"To hold the kid!" I shoved the baby into his arms.

"What? Why?"

"You invited me over here so you could share the pain, now shut it and deal."

He grumbled to himself, glaring down at the baby doll, whose eyes were closed. It slept silently in his arms.

He grinned at me. "It likes me."

I rolled my eyes. "You're just so boring you put it to sleep."

He growled.

We stayed like that for a few minutes, and the baby doll went lip.

I sighed in relief. "I think we did it."

"Finally," Inuyasha muttered, giving the doll back to me.

Hesitantly, I stuffed it back in the bag.

"And now we need to write about our experiences?"

"Just like a wench, always asking permission."

"Idiot."

We bent over the paper together.

After ten minutes of writing I stood up. "I want to look around here," I announced.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, standing with me. "Look, seeing as we're partners for this stupid project, and one of my best friends has suddenly decided that you're a worthy friend and not just the idiot girl that you really are, we should probably at least _try _to get along."

I stared at him. "Have you lost your mind?"

I really was beginning to consider that.

"Who says I can't be a peacemaker?" he scoffed.

Uh, logic, sanity, physics?

"Keh, you're right," he said, grinning. "I can't stand you, you can't stand me, let's get the aggression out by playing video games."

…?

"What?"

Suddenly from in the backpack came a crying sound.

Inuyasha growled. "Or maybe we could take it out on a certain loud piece of plastic."

I grabbed his arm, pulling him back as he moved threateningly toward my backpack. "Don't you dare hurt that doll! If I fail this project I'll _kill you._"

Inuyasha grinned at me. "Really? Let's see you try it."

I gaped at him, stuttering. "I—I—I'm a priestess!" I finally improvised. "I-I'll purify you!"

He smirked. "So I've heard, _priestess_." His grinned widened until he was laughing. "Keh, I bet you've never purified anything in your damn life!"

Why, beneath that grin and that laugh, was there pain?

Suddenly I remembered the story of his girlfriend, that girl, Kikyo… she'd been a priestess… maybe talking about this reminded him of her.

_If you were tall, pale-skinned and cold, you two could be twins._

Maybe _I _reminded him of her?

_ I think that he genuinely loved her. _

If he loved Kikyo… then it wasn't because he hated her that he hated me. Why, then, should he hate me? Was it because I reminded him of the pain he had felt when she died?

Could I remind Inuyasha of the woman he had loved?

_I never liked Kikyo much, though. She was too removed. She didn't really seem to care for anyone besides Inuyasha. She wouldn't even talk to me and Miroku. Damn bitch._

No, I was nothing like that. From all I had heard, this Kikyo person seemed pretty stuck up. I hope I'm not stuck up; I don't _think _I'm stuck up!

She had died… and he had loved her… and now I was here, a priestess who supposedly even _looked _like her….

But that look in his eyes, as he claimed my gaze and stared into my face… it wasn't hatred or sorrow.

Inuyasha glared at me. "Keh, whattaya staring at, wench?"

That look had been _so _different from the one he was giving me now.

"Just something I can't stand," I muttered, turning back to the crying baby. I took it out of the packpack, holding it up. "Ugh, what does it _want?_" I moaned. I rocked it back and forth for a while, but to no avail. Next… feeding? Right! The bottle!

Nothing.

"Gah!" I yelled, fed up. "Just… stop it! Go to sleep! SHUT UP!"

Inuyasha laughed.

I whirled on him. "Okay, fine, _you _try it," I growled, throwing the doll at him.

"Wha?" he said stupidly, catching the doll out of reflex and holding it by the arm.

I groaned. "You're hurting it! Stupid, you can't hold a baby like that!"

I rushed to the doll's aid, righting it in Inuyasha's arms. "God, you're hopeless."

"Well, maybe _you _should take this project, then," Inuyasha grumbled.

"You were the one who said you wanted to do your share of the work, so shut up!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I'm not leaving you all alone with the baby, wench. I'm not that kind of guy."

"Maybe I _want _to be left alone with baby, so _you _can't _contaminate _him!"

"Since when did it become a _him?_"

"It's not! It could be a her too! Hell, I don't give a crap what gender it is, it's a piece of plastic. But I'm _not _gonna fail this project."

Inuyasha grinned at me. "What makes you think I couldn't be a good parent?"

I just raised an eyebrow. He seemed to get my meaning, and after grinning wider, he said, "Well, it's not like you're much better. If you don't learn to work better with others, you'll never end up having a relationship with anyone, let alone _marriage_."

I just made a disgusted noise in my throat.

Inuyasha frowned at me, and then stepped closer—and we'd already been close, seeing as I'd fixed the baby doll in his arms.

With the slightest smirk, he said, "You've never had a relationship, have you?"

"W-what? What makes you say that? I've had plenty of relationships."

He relaxed, elaborately casual. "Really? What were their names?"

"I—uh—Akito. And Kyo."

Inuyasha smirked. "I bet you've never even kissed anyone."

I narrowed my eyes at him. Was it worth lying to him? Why should I lie to him, anyway? Why should I care?

"No, I have never kissed anyone, and that's fine with me. It's stupid to judge people based on how many people they've kissed. It's like it's a social rating." I smirked at him. "I guess I know why you're so popular. Tell me, how many points do you get for sleeping with half the school?"

Inuyasha grinned. "Depends. We including ninth graders?"

This guy was such an ass.

Making a disgusted noise in the back of my throat, I turned away. But Inuyasha would have none of that. He grabbed my shoulder, turning me back to face him, both of us leaning against the wall next to his sound system.

Inuyasha smirked. "Does that bother you?"

I still couldn't tell whether he was being serious. Could a guy really sleep with that many people by tenth grade? He had to be kidding.

But it's Inuyasha. So who knows?

He grinned wider. "I think it does."

I glared at him. "It so doesn't. Other than the fact that my new friend is best friends with a slut, why would I care?"

"First, isn't "slut" a girl thing? And second, cause you like me."

My mouth popped open, and to my horror and his triumph, I found myself blushing.

"You know, you are really cute," Inuyasha said softly, almost thoughtfully, leaning closer to me. My cheeks went redder as he touched a strand of my hair. What the hell was he doing?

But then he added, "For a bitch."

Now my face was red with anger. "Shut it. Even if I did like you, which I don't, you could never like me back, nor could you ever truly like _anyone _cause your emotions don't run that deep."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "You don't like that word, do you?"

There was an undercurrent to his voice, a pain and subtle anger which I didn't understand.

"Who _would?_" I stuttered. His tone… his intense golden gaze… it made me nervous.

He saw that, and he smirked.

"But it seems like it's a bigger deal to you when I call you that than with other people."

"So you call the whole school bitches, huh?"

Inuyasha grinned. "Nah. Mostly you."

I glared at him and looked away, not wanting him to see how much his taunting hurt me.

I gently stroked an expensive stereo, changing the subject. "How much did this cost?"

Just smooth things over. He never hurt you.

"Hell, I don't know."

I rolled my eyes. "Must be nice to be rich."

He grinned at me. "Yeah, it's pretty cool."

"Are you going to take over your dad's company when you get older?" Good, small talk. That works, right?

Inuyasha shrugged. "Maybe. Chances are it's gonna be Sesshomaru, cause he's older. Bastard."

I frowned, realizing something. "I've met your mom and she's really nice, but where's your dad?"

He shrugged. "Off on a business trip somewhere. Who the hell cares, anyway."

I looked down, eyes narrowed. "I would think you would," I said softly. "Seeing as you're his son."

Inuyasha didn't understand how lucky he was. How could he not appreciate his father? How could he not see how wonderful it was that he had his father?

"Keh. I don't give a damn about where he goes." Inuyasha glanced at me. "So what do your parents do?"

"We're all shrine keepers. My dad used to be the main one."

"Used to?"

"He's gone."

Inuyasha grinned cruelly at me. "What, did he decide he'd had enough and leave you? I wouldn't blame him."

My fists clenched.

Inuyasha had gone too far.

Accursed tears springing to my eyes, I almost screamed, "Why do you _hate _me?!"

I only realized how hurt and devastated that sounded a little after I said it.

He stared at me, shocked by my reaction.

"What the hell, wench?" He demanded.

It was an impulse response; he was shaken and bewildered, I could tell, beneath the indignation.

"He didn't leave me," I choked out, glaring up at Inuyasha. "He's _dead._"

Inuyasha stared at me in horror and regret. "What… I…"

"Why do you hate me?" I asked, voice softer, more broken.

Why did I care so much? Why did I long so much for him to be nicer to me? Why was he so _cruel _to me?!

He looked at me for a moment, as if wondering exactly that.

The shock faded from his face. His golden eyes were thoughtful, serious, and intense.

He took a step toward me, raising a hand to cup my cheek. I stared at him in shock, feeling his cool claws trace my skin as he moved one of his strong fingers under my chin.

I gasped, feeling him wipe the tears from beneath my eyes.

"Who said I hated you…" he murmured, golden eyes gazing down on me.

I stared at him. "I… you!" I managed.

A small smile tweaked at his lips, almost a smirk. "I never said I hated you, Kagome. I just can't stand you. There's a difference."

My eyes bulged.

Did he just…?

INUYASHA

_Did I just…? _Inuyasha thought dazedly. _Kagome… it's a pretty name… keh, too pretty for her…_

But even as he thought the words, he found himself being entranced by her deep, chocolate-brown eyes, inhaling the perfume aroma which drifted from her skin…

The more he looked into those deep, chocolate-brown eyes, the more he wanted to lean closer. His fingers crept up her chin, reveling in the feeling of her smooth skin under his palm… her eyes… so hurt, and confused, and awed, and intensely, intensely…

**Admit it. She's beautiful.**

_Keh, shut up…_

Inuyasha, you should apologize to her. She's angry at you.

_As if!_

**He doesn't need to **_**apologize **_**to her. He just has to make his move.**

You need to learn more about _caring. _Inuyasha genuinely cares for this girl.

_W-what?! No! I don't!_

**What's your hand doing on her cheek then?**

BACK TO KAGOME

I stared at him, inhaling deeply, unable to look away.

Finally Inuyasha stepped away from me, seeming shaken. "I didn't mean it," he muttered. "About your dad. I was an ass." But then he grinned, just like the old Inuyasha. "But this doesn't change anything, wench."

"Aaah!" I screeched. "_Wench! _You called me Kagome! YOU! CALLED! ME! _KAGOME!_"

"Don't know what you're talking about," he said casually.

I groaned. "You're impossible."

I was still blushing furiously as I turned away from him.

Then Inuyasha's clawed hand was on my shoulder, turning me back to him.

He grinned at me. "You're blushing."

I growled at him, blushing even more. _Damn it, damn it, damn it… _"I am not."

"Really?" he asked. "What's this then?"

He closed his eyes for just the briefest instant as he raised his fingers toward my face, but then he opened them again. Beneath the teasing, in those golden eyes ran some emotion which I couldn't fathom or understand…

My mouth opened just the slightest bit and my heartbeat sped as his claws stroked my cheek. I found myself worrying that he would be too forceful, that he would cut my skin… but I found that, as I inhaled, and as the smirk faded from his face, I no longer cared… his claws were cool against my skin…

And in the calm which this whole moment created, I was able to ask myself _WHAT THE HELL I WAS DOING._

INUYASHA

The effect was instantaneous, and just what he'd desired.

"Aaah!" she screeched. "_Wench! _You called me Kagome! YOU! CALLED! ME! _KAGOME!_"

"Don't know what you're talking about," Inuyasha said, grinning to himself.

_Point one Inuyasha. Good job, smooth things over. Whatever the hell just came over you doesn't matter. _

She moaned loudly. "You're impossible."

**An appropriate adjective**_**, **_a particularly pissed demon voice hissed.

_Shut the hell up. It's none of your business. _

You're so immature.

_ME? YOU'RE a fucking figment of my fucking imagination!_

Sigh. You'll have to see that you have feelings for her someday… although even I am not exactly sure what those feelings are.

_What? F-feelins?! I don't have feelings! No, I mean, I don't have feelings FOR HER! I'll prove it._

Inuyasha was about to say something rough to Kagome when he realized that her face was bright red.

_No way… is she…?_

Grinning, he grabbed the girl's shoulder and turned her back around to him.

She was.

"You're blushing," Inuyasha said gleefully.

If possible, she blushed deeper. "I am not," she muttered.

But the color of her skin at the moment, and her scent, was so entrancing that it took him a moment to think of something to say.

"Really?" he finally said. "What's this then?"

_What the hell am I doing?_

Unthinkingly, Inuyasha raised his claw toward her cheek. As he touched that delicate skin, a shiver of excitement raced down his spine, but even more than that… there was something else there… a feeling he hadn't felt for two years… a feeling he had NEVER felt so intensely…

Inuyasha wanted to repel the feeling, but Kagome's face changed that.

Her lips parted just the tiniest bit, and she relaxed. No longer was she stiff and confused and scared. Instead, she stared into his eyes with complete trust.

Inuyasha longed for that trust…

_Longing? Hell, no! I don't… I can't…_

_ I won't…_

_ I CAN'T…_

AND KAGOME AGAIN

Inuyasha wrenched his hand away from my face as if burned, stepping backwards. I stared at him, eyes wide, still almost paralyzed. His face… it had been so… _kind_… before. I couldn't think of a suitable way to describe it. He had never looked at me that way before.

He certainly wasn't looking at me like that now.

For the briefest moment I thought I saw fear flicker in his eyes, but it was replaced quickly with disgust. "Keh… you should go, wench…"

"W-what?"

"Didn't you hear me? Get the hell out of here. We're finished with the project for today. Leave the doll, take it, I don't care. Just go. I've got stuff to do."

My face went red with fury, and I fumed. "Fine!" I snapped, spitting on his feet. Before he could process what I just did, I grabbed my backpack—baby doll included—and marched out of the room and out of the house.

As soon as I hit the sidewalk, the baby started crying.

Figures.

**A/N: Hey guys! I know this chapter was probably not what you were expecting—yes, I would have loved to have Kagome kill Inuyasha too, but she isn't really interested in picking fights and also that would bring the story to a rather abrupt end :P. And just to clear up a few things, if you were going to ask: Inuyasha does not love Kagome—well, not yet, at least : ). However, he does feel SOMETHING for her… and even I'm not exactly sure what that is… and the fact that he feels anything at all scares him. And Kagome hates Inuyasha as much as ever. The reason she didn't complain when he was sort of nice to her was more because she was surprised than because she LIKES him. I mean, who would like someone who makes their life hell? But that doesn't mean that she couldn't change her mind if he started NOT being an ass. Still, they've got a bit more to go before they can tolerate each other! So, thanks to I am the Wind Mizuki Kay, beautiful-surreal, SuperHarryPotterNerd, k, xXthenextbookwormXx, Random Comment, and LunaP for reviewing! I was so happy with the review turnout for the last chapter, please keep it up, guys! And for Random Comment—thanks for the review, I don't take any offense. I sort of mean for some of the characters to be a little ooc in this story, and I hope that doesn't bother you too much! As for the transitions between characters… I can't help you much there, but I put transition labels in this chapter, so maybe that helped? **

** Anyway, everybody, review! Tell me what you think! Don't hate me too much! Next chapter will be posted by Wednesday, or if I get five or more reviews first! Thanks again! **


	17. I Was Here

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: I WAS HERE

What is happening to me?

The question ran through my head for the rest of the day. I knew, of course, that my friends back in Okinawa would expect me to send them all the latest news, but this didn't seem like the kind of thing I wanted everyone (and god knows once it hit Eri and Ayumi, it was sure to be EVERYONE) to know. Maybe I would tell Rin about it…

But was there anything happening?

Inuyasha confuses me. I've barely known him for two days, and already he makes me feel something that… that nobody else has ever made me feel before.

It's a kind of racing of the heart, a tensing of the muscles…

It's pure hatred.

"DAMN him!" I cried out, exasperated, bent over Wednesday's math homework.

Rin glanced at me. "Damn who?" she piped up. But then she giggled. "Never mind."

I growled at her. "Shut it. I don't have feelings for that jerk—unless you count loathing."

That's a feeling, right?

He really pisses me off. One minute he's practically _flirting _with me—probably _to _piss me off—and the next he pushes me away like a dirty sock. At school today, Inuyasha and I had spent every class we had together arguing over inconsequential things I've never even _thought _about before. The guy can't even _try _to get along.

Rin smiled at me. "You'll get used to it at your own pace. As will he."

I glared at her, and then smirked. "So, what about you? Met your soul mate yet?"

Rin's face fell.

I frowned at her. "Rin… are you okay?"

It appeared that she hadn't even noticed how obvious her emotions were. She smiled weakly at me. "Oh, I'm fine," she assured me. "Just, you know… it's nothing."

I frowned at her. Obviously, it wasn't nothing. "Rin, what's going on?"

Rin looked away from me, appearing deep in thought. "It's nothing I'm _sad _about, exactly. More like… unsure? Does that make sense?"

I nodded. "Perfect sense."

Rin grinned gratefully. "Thanks, Kagome."

"No problem," I said, slinging an arm around her shoulder. I wanted her to tell me more, but I knew that the best thing to do with Rin is not to push her. She is Rin. I am Kagome. We're closer than sisters. And she tells me everything without prompting. And so when she opened her mouth to speak, I knew that she was about to confide everything in me.

"Can you help me with the math homework?"

An hour later, Rin left for her first private lesson with Kaede.

We had heard from our mother and grandfather two very different descriptions of the lesson, so Rin didn't know what to expect—and neither did I. Rin promised she would tell me everything when she got back. But she wouldn't let me walk over to Kaede's place with her.

That was unusual. But Rin wasn't in a mood to be pressed, so I didn't bother her about it.

And instead, I was left alone, outside in my strange yard, by my strange house, neither of which felt like _my _home.

My home was back in Okinawa. My house was a tiny apartment. My yard was a plod of grass next to the street.

My eyes were sad as I turned in a slow circle, taking in the surroundings of my beautiful not-home.

This is Tokyo. Tokyo will never be my home.

"Dad…" I whispered, sitting down in the grass.

I let the emotions I had been keeping bottled up within me all this time pour out, and I cried.

I felt arms wrap around me and didn't have to look to know who it was. Instead I sobbed into my mother's shoulder, staining her shirt with my tears, and she held me close, stroking my hair like back when I was a little kid.

Sometimes I wish I still was a little kid.

"It's okay," she cooed, "It's okay, Kagome. Everything will be okay."

I could tell from the catch in her voice that maybe, tears were glistening in her dark eyes as well.

"I hate this place," I whispered. "I miss Dad. I wish he was here. I wish we were back home."

My mom rocked me back and forth in her lap, and I didn't even mind it. I didn't mind being a baby.

"We are home, sweetie," she said softly. "This is our home now."

I shook my head, gulping, unable to speak.

She smiled at me. "Come on, Kagome."

We stood up, and I leaned heavily on her for support as she led me around the yard.

"You see this tree, Kagome?" she asked.

It was a gigantic tree, the largest in our yard.

I nodded. "The Sacred Tree," I said quietly, stroking the bark.

"This tree has stood for hundreds of years," my mother said. "Thousands. It has been here since the creation of time itself. This tree, which you touch, has witnessed the rises and falls of society, of people, of humans, of demons. But no matter how its home changes, it remains, living on, as peaceful as before. That is why the Sacred Tree lives on. For it is able to keep its roots anywhere it is. No matter what happens around it, it will survive. And it will be happy. Lean your ear against the tree, Kagome. Does it feel happy to you?"

Sniffling and thinking, just a little, that this all sounded like a load of crap, I pressed my ear to the tree.

And gasped.

I could swear, in that moment, that this tree was _alive_. That it could feel, and think, and _know_. From this tree emanated a power the likes of which I had never seen except for in the Orb of Night.

I nodded excitedly. "Mama, I feel it," I said, tears dripping down my face.

If only my father could have felt this. He would have been amazed.

She bit back tears, hugging me from behind. "Kagome, the tree lives on, and the tree is happy. The tree has spiritual power, just like you. Can you learn from the tree? Can you be like it, and live on, and be happy?"

I frowned suddenly, turning back to my mother. "Kaede told you some of this, didn't you?"

My mother smiled. "One of the main focuses of my lesson was on understanding everything around us, and deriving our spiritual power from that mass of life."

I smiled. "Thank you, mom."

"I love you, Kagome," she whispered, a single tear dripping down her cheek.

When Rin stepped into the yard at six thirty, she was glowing.

Rin's emotions are usually very clear, and it relieved me to see that she was acting more like her usual self. We ran to each other, and my sister and best friend was grinning from ear to ear.

"It was amazing!" she gushed excitedly to my mother and me. "Kaede is so smart! And cool! And strong! And _amazing!_"

"What did you do?" I asked curiously.

"Well, we went looking for animals, and she talked about life, and having respect for other living beings, and understanding them. And—and—she said I'm going to learn how to be a healer!"

"That's so cool!" I said, smiling in elation. Our mom, also, praised Rin limitlessly.

"I know," Rin said, grinning. "And I can't wait to hear what you'll be doing, Kagome. I bet it'll be even cooler than what I'm doing, cause you have spiritual power and all." She grinned ruefully. "I don't have a bit of it. That's okay, though. I'm fine with doing whatever I can."

"That's my Rin," our mom said proudly, hugging Rin tightly.

And it was. It comforted me, to see Rin as Rin usually is: happy, selfless, and open. I'll never admit to her how much it frightened me to think Rin kept secrets from me. Not just because of what those secrets might be, but because she was keeping them in the first place.

But now she was normal again. And I thought I didn't have to think about secrets anymore.

Rin and I checked our email on Thursday morning, before going to school. Of course, Ayumi, Eri, and Hojo had responded with about a thousand messages each. We fixed up a brief, amusing reply for them, and then headed out the door to school.

"We're gonna be late," Rin moaned, lugging her backpack over her shoulder as we sprinted down the street.

"Not if we run," I growled, picking up the speed.

"Hey! You're going fast again, Kagome!" Rin complained, running to catch up with me.

I grinned at her. "Too fast for ya?"

Rin grinned back. "Bring it on, Kags."

We laughed, dashing through the streets until—

"AAH!"

Four screams echoed as we crashed into two girls. All four of us fell back down rather painfully on the sidewalk.

And guess who it was?

"Watch it, you clutzes!" a shrill voice squealed.

"Yura, don't bother. People like them are beyond our help," Tsubaki said coolly, gazing at us with utter disdain.

"People like us don't need or want your help anyway," I retorted, standing stiffly. "Come on, Rin, let's go. They don't need an apology."

Rin glared at them, and stood with me.

"Hey, wait," Yura said, grinning maliciously at us—at me. "What's between you and the dog boy?"

Huh? "Who? Inuyasha?"

Yura rolled her eyes. "Who'd you think I meant? Sesshomaru?"

I rolled my eyes. "There's nothing between me and Inuyasha, except for the fact that we hate each other's guts. Happy now?"

Yura's smile gleamed. "Not quite. See… I'm not sure I believe you."

Rin and I exchanged an exasperated glance, and then I demanded of Yura, "What's it to you, anyway?"

Tsubaki smirked. "She's quite defensive."

I snorted in contempt. "Let's _go_."

We both turned to leave—only to find that we were surrounded by a wall of hair. Which is a bit of an odd thing to see on any day.

Rin, to my surprise, walked right into it. Okay, Rin can be a little spacey sometimes, but honestly I've never seen her walk right into a wall before… nonetheless a wall of hair, which is not something most people see very often.

If you _do _see stuff like this very often, you need to seriously reconsider your life.

I watched in horror as cuts sprang up on Rin's face and arms, as if the hairs were sharp as knives. "Rin!" I cried out, grabbing her by the shoulders and yanking her backward. "What are you doing?"

"W-what is this?" Rin squealed, confused, staring down at her bleeding hands and looking around her in fear.

I frowned at her, and then at the webs of hair. "You… you can't see it?"

And then I realized that she really couldn't.

Yura clapped in delight, and the sound sounded unnaturally loud. "Wooow! You can see my hairs? Very impressive. They were right, then—you _are_ a priestess."

"Who was right?"

She giggled, a cold laugh which made me shiver. "Oh, nobody," she trilled. "You'll find out eventually anyway."

Now I was scared. Not like I'd tell her that.

"Kagome, let's go," Rin said, head down.

You would think she'd have noticed by now that being surrounded by walls of sharp hair has a tendency to _stop _people from going.

"I'm working on it," I muttered. I glared at Yura and Tsubaki. "What do you idiots want?"

"Oh, nothing much…" Yura said innocently, fingering her manicured nails.

"Just to give you an idea of what's coming," Tsubaki said, smirking.

Hmm… so not only were they popular idiots… but they were also complete psychopaths.

Whatever; it's Tokyo. Somehow I'm not surprised.

"Kagome! Rin!"

"Sango!" I yelled. "I can't see you, where—"

But then something pinned me to the hair—and I realized it was a huge strand of even _more _hair.

This is just not my day, is it?

My struggling earned me cuts and nicks, and Yura and Tsubaki just laughed. "Foolish human," Yura said, shaking her head, smiling.

"Technically, I'm a human," Tsubaki reminded her.

Yura grinned. "Nah. You're too evil to be human."

"And you're both too stupid to live much longer," a male voice I recognized oh so well drawled. "I can't see the hairs, but I can see your plastic little bodies, and I'm sure it'd be real easy to cut through you both with my claws!"

Plastic is right. These two look like they've had more plastic surgery than the average front-of-the-magazines celebrity. And seeing as most of _them _look like hookers… you get the picture.

"Aww, the half dog is here to rescue his bitch," Yura cooed.

"She's not my bitch!"

"I'm not his bitch! I mean, I'm not _a _bitch!"

"You sure about that, wench?"

"Shut it and go away, I don't need your help!" I screamed unthinkingly.

It was all happening too fast. I couldn't process it. Sure, Yura and Tsubaki were jerks, but… _dangerous? _

"This is why I didn't want to come to Tokyo," I groaned.

"Y-Yura, Tsubaki, let her go," Rin stuttered, hands balled into fists.

Why would my power not come? Why was I not seeing the blue auras which so obviously marked demons?

"I'll purify you, I swear I will," I threatened.

Tsubaki laughed darkly. "We happen to be your classmates, Higurashi. How will you explain to the police why two girls lie on the ground in ashes?"

And the worst part: she was right.

"What do you want?" I demanded.

"Let them go! I've got my Hiraikotsu, I'll hit you!" Sango yelled.

"Sango, no!" I protested. "They're right, you'll be blamed!"

"I don't fucking care who'll be blamed, you let her go or I'll kill you both," Inuyasha threatened.

His voice made me shiver.

"You might hit us!" I squealed.

"Idiot, I can see you!" Inuyasha yelled.

So… he couldn't see the hairs either.

Is it crazy to be feeling a little smug about that? Please don't give me an honest answer.

The next few minutes were about to be terrifying. I wasn't sure what happened outside the web of hairs which blocked me from the rest of the world, but I didn't need to see.

Sango's and Miroku's shouts were enough.

"Inuyasha!"

"Inuyasha, get a hold of yourself!"

"You'll hurt Kagome and Rin!"

And Rin screamed. Loud. And that was what scared me most; cause the pitch broke the decibel record I have _ever _heard her voice reach.

"Rin! Rin, what's going on?!" I screamed. I was blind. The hairs surrounded me. It was me, Rin, Yura, and Tsubaki surrounded by walls of razor-sharp hair. What was happening outside? All I could feel were the sharp stings of the hair as it dug into my skin. All I could see were Yura's and Tsubaki's delightedly evil faces, Rin's terrified, tearful one, and the hair working its way around us like a whirlpool.

"Inuyasha…" Rin whispered.

"What? What's he doing? Rin, please!" I yelled.

"He… he…"

"INUYASHA!"

Suddenly, without warning, the web of hairs exploded.

A feral snarl erupted from his chest as he rushed toward Yura and Tsubaki, lifting them into the air by their throats. For the briefest moment, fear rippled through their faces.

But quickly as ever, they smirked.

"Well, look who lost his temper," Yura cooed.

"You should be careful with your demon, Inuyasha," Tsubaki agreed. "You might hurt your little girl over there… and we don't want that to happen, do we?"

"I'll… kill you…" Inuyasha choked out.

"Inu…yasha?" I asked uncertainly.

His eyes were red with fury.

Wait a minute… literally?

Holy crap.

"Inuyasha, put them down," Sango said nervously. She took a step toward him.

Miroku grabbed her arm. "Stay back, Sango," he said, voice low, more serious than I'd ever seen him before. I almost expected him to touch her butt.

Sango seemed to think the same thing, because she slapped his hand before he could move it.

"This is not the time to be a lecher," she hissed.

"So there _is _a time to be a lecher?" I murmured to Rin.

Here is our situation in a nutshell: Rin and I stand close together shaking in complete fear. Sango glares at Miroku while holding her Hiraikotsu very close to herself—although who she intends to use that on is unclear. Miroku smiles innocently and then tries to be serious as if he's never had a perverted thought in his life. Inuyasha has gone crazy, and now holds Yura and Tsubaki by the neck.

So why am I cracking a dumb joke like that in a time like this?

Sango and Miroku became serious again.

"Inuyasha, put them down," Miroku said slowly.

Inuyasha just snarled, digging his elongated claws a little deeper into Yura's and Tsubaki's throats.

"What's going on?" Rin squeaked.

"Because Inuyasha is a half demon, he has a demon side which usually is kept in check," Miroku explained. "But sometimes, when he feels threatened… or when someone he cares about is being threatened… he loses control."

"But when he's in demon form, he can't control his actions," Sango said hurriedly. "You guys have to get away from there _now_, or he'll hurt you."

I was still on the _someone he cares about _part.

"Kagome, let's go," Rin said, jerking me back to reality.

"What? Oh…"

"Kagome, Rin, get out of there _now_," Sango ordered.

"What can you guys do that we can't?" I demanded.

"We…" but Sango's face fell. "We can't do anything. We've all just got to keep our distance and wait."

"How pitiful, to be a half demon," Tsubaki purred. "Your own friends are too frightened of you to come to your aid."

This time the pain was clear in his eyes.

"Inuyasha, you know that's not true!" Sango yelled.

Miroku nodded vigorously. "Calm down. Inuyasha!"

"You say you don't care, but then why do you stand there in fear?" Yura asked.

"You should be fucking afraid, bitch!" Inuyasha hissed.

"Inuyasha…" I called out.

He winced. "Stay… back…" he choked out.

I glanced at Rin, at Sango, at Miroku.

At Inuyasha, who, despite his aggressive position, was hurting.

I stepped toward him.

"Kagome, no!" Rin yelled, grabbing me.

"Kagome, we mean it, stay back," Miroku said.

"You can't calm him down," Sango agreed.

I shook my head, turning to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, I'm not afraid. Calm down."

Inuyasha shook with rage.

"You don't want to kill them, Inuyasha," I said, although I had no idea what his real feelings were. "Put them down. Calm down."

Why was I doing this? I don't even _like _this guy, for crying out loud! In fact, I _hate _him. I can't stand him.

So why did I care so much that he knew I was there for him?

I remembered that time at his house, when he had touched my cheek and looked at me like… like he cared about me.

Wait what?

Inuyasha glanced at me, red eyes almost fearful.

"Inuyasha?" I asked questioningly.

I was afraid. Everyone knew that. But for some reason, backing away wasn't an option. I kept stepping closer.

And there it was. A blue aura, around Yura.

Concentrating, I felt for her demonic energy, and I found it. In seconds, Yura was sprawled on the ground in a daze. Inuyasha dropped Tsubaki and leapt backward in surprise, snarling. He whipped around—and his eyes found me.

I shook my head. He wouldn't hurt me. He couldn't… as much as he hated me, as much as I annoyed him, as much as he annoyed me… I knew he would never _hurt _me.

He lunged at me.

Rin screamed, Sango and Miroku shouted, and me? I don't know what I did. I think I was too scared to speak.

I felt his claws clutching my wrist. I felt his hand curling around my shirt collar. I felt his breath on my face.

But his eyes were almost as frightened as I was.

"Inuyasha, let go," I whispered.

His grip tightened. "You… you…" he hissed.

"Inuyasha, you're hurting me. Let go."

"Stop, Inuyasha," Sango commanded.

"You'll only upset yourself and all of us if you hurt her. You don't want to hurt her," Miroku called to him.

"Inuyasha please…" Rin murmured.

I gulped, did my best to stand straighter, and said firmly, "Inuyasha, let me go _now._"

I could see his blue aura. I could feel his demonic energy. If I had to, I would do the same to him as I had to Yura, who was now sitting up and running away with Tsubaki. But with Yura, it had all been in strategy. Here… when I felt so frightened… how could I make sure I only pushed him away? What if I couldn't control my powers? What if I…

Inuyasha snarled at me, and I lost the rest of my control.

I put my free hand to his chest, and let my power loose.

Inuyasha jumped upwards, much higher than I had thought possible, and I yelled, stumbling backwards. How had he dodged it? How had he dodged my power?!

Of course! I'm not a professional priestess. Some people would be able to overpower me.

So Inuyasha was one of them.

Believe me on this one; that knowledge did not make me feel any better about Inuyasha in the least.

But when he landed in front of me, eyes furious, he said the words which I had never expected to be so grateful to hear in my life.

"Wench, what the fuck was that for?!"

His eyes were golden. His face was furious. His nose was stuck in my face, and he was damn pissed.

And I burst out laughing.

I laughed so hard I couldn't stand it. Tears came to my eyes, I clutched my stomach, falling to my knees. Rin, Sango, and Miroku gaped at me, obviously wondering if I'd lost my mind. But then they began laughing too.

Inuyasha thought we'd all lost our minds.

He gaped at us. "Wh-wha…"

Our friends congregated around us, slowly at first, but with relief and more confidence with every passing second.

"Kagome, that was amazing," Rin whispered.

"Good job, Kagome," Sango and Miroku said in unison.

"Inuyasha… are you okay?" I asked hesitantly.

To my surprise, he glared at me. "What the hell are you talking about? You just shot me with miko energy, and you're asking if I'm _okay?!_ Bitch!"

That was it. IT. "You ASS!"

Inuyasha jumped nearly a mile in the air.

"Wh-what the hell?" he stuttered, fear giving way quickly to anger. "Wench, are you psycho or something?!"

"Yeah, I'm a psycho wenchy _bitch _who just saved your ASS and MINE from YOUR DEMON who was going to KILL ME!"

If I wasn't so angry, I probably would be crying.

But to my surprise, Inuyasha listened to me.

His mouth fell open. A little of the anger faded from his golden eyes, but the irritation was still there.

"I…" he turned to Sango and Miroku, after aiming an uncertain glance my way. "My demon came out?"

Sango nodded. "Kagome saved you," she said, voice deadly. "You know you can't let your demon out, and not just because it corrupts your soul. You were going to kill her, Inuyasha."

Corrupt his soul?

Inuyasha stared at me.

Rin bit her lip. "I-it's true. You had her by the wrist and everything. You were almost lifting her up by the shirt. She _had _to fight back."

"I… I…"

"I believe you owe somebody an apology," Miroku said casually.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "No way am I apologizing to that… that… chick!"

"Oh, I'm not a bitch anymore, am I?" I demanded, voice like ice.

"So you want me to call you a bitch, then?" Inuyasha growled.

My eyes became slits. "You know what? I don't care anymore. Call me whatever you want. I just saved both of us and you called me a bitch, and if you're that kind of guy, then I don't give a crap what you call me." With a contemptuous glance towards Inuyasha, I grabbed Rin's arm and said, "We're going."

As we walked quickly away, leaving Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango staring after us, Rin constantly flicked glances toward my face. But obviously, whatever she saw there frightened her, because the glances became more hesitant and further apart as we neared the school.

I don't know what my face looked like back there, but whatever it was, I hope it scared the crap out of Inuyasha. I hope it bothered him. I hope it's brand-ironed into his brain RIGHT NOW and he'll be emotionally scarred for the rest of his pitiful rich snob life.

Because I'm pretty sure that the tears I'm restraining now wouldn't scare him in the least.

**A/N: Guys, thank you thank you thank you for the reviews, faves, and alerts! Here's a shout-out to the ultra-amazing people who reviewed since the last post: tbiscool123, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, beautiful-surreal, I am the Wind Mizuki Kay, k, xXthenextbookworkXx, LunaP, Maiden of the Silver Fires, and xxInnocent Dreamsxx! The next chapter will be up by Friday, or by the time I get TEN reviews! Yes, ten! But hey, you guys have been reviewing so much already, I don't think it should be a problem! (plus I'm afraid if I ask for less and get them by TOMORROW, my updates might end up catching up to the chapters I've already written). So, review, guys! I love you all! **


	18. Penance and Payback

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: PENANCE AND PAYBACK

As Inuyasha watched Kagome drag Rin away, he cursed himself.

_Idiot, idiot, idiot._

**You certainly have that right.**

_What the hell are you talking to me for?! You're the one who did this in the first place! I thought you LIKED her. Why would you try to kill her?!_

**I did not TRY to kill her. I would NEVER try to kill that girl. But I was angry. She was threatened, and I was angry, and sometimes when I become angry I am not so good at distinguishing between friend and foe.**

_I already knew that, idiot!_

**Then why in the world would you ASK?**

Inuyasha just growled.

"Uh… Inuyasha? Are you okay?" Miroku asked hesitantly.

"I can't believe you treated Kagome like that," Sango said, shaking her head in disappointment. "She's right when she calls you an ass. And after everything she did for you. You know she actually walked UP to you while you were in your demon form to stop you from killing Yura and Tsubaki and everyone else?"

_She came toward me? In my demon form?_

_Kagome?_

"Why the hell would she do that? She hates me."

Only after he said the words did he realize how much he hated her for hating him.

"Only because you're a complete ass to her, Inuyasha!" Sango reproached. "She's really nice, and I bet the way you treat her hurts her a lot. But if you never learn how to stop pushing her away just because she reminds you of Kikyo, then there's nothing you can do about her hating you."

"I admire your bravery in mentioning She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Sango, my dear," Miroku said, not meeting her eyes.

But most unfortunately for a soon to be bruised and lying on the floor at her feet Miroku, Sango followed his gaze with a practiced eye and knew EXACTLY where he was looking.

"Lecher," she said, rolling her eyes.

"It was worth it," he said with a sigh, sitting on the ground and rubbing his head.

"Really?" Sango asked in disgust.

"Sango, stop it. We all know you love it when Miroku looks at your boobs," Inuyasha growled.

They both turned to him. Even Sango was too surprised at such a halfway-civilized answer to object to what he had _said_. Usually, even the merest mention of Kikyo caused Inuyasha to beat a person to the ground.

"It's not only cause of Kikyo that I push her away," Inuyasha muttered reluctantly.

Sango and Miroku exchanged a glance—a rather awkward glance, seeing as when Sango looked down to meet Miroku's eyes, she saw that the boy had his head resting on her knees.

In a normal circumstance, they would have grinned mischievously and asked what this "other reason" was. But when Inuyasha had to think about Kikyo, they knew he was not in a mood to be tested.

Almost predictably, Inuyasha turned and ran down the street at demon speed, leaving them in the dust to sigh at their friend's conflict.

_Stupid… giving me lectures… _Inuyasha thought, casting a venomous glance behind him at Sango, who was now kicking Miroku off of her legs, and Miroku, now being kicked _off_ of her legs.

_Who are they, my parents?_

It was none of their business how he treated Kagome.

_Well… maybe I'll be a little nicer to her. Maybe I won't call her a bitch anymore. _

Wow, you won't call her a bitch, huh? I'm sure that'll impress her. So what'll it be now? Chick? Wench? Slut? Whore?

_Cut the sarcasm, will you? _

Sorry, sorry. It's just… your idea of being nice is really funny. 

_I'm warning you…_

You know what? Not like you need more, but if you ever want to make money I know what you should do. Write a book.

_Why the hell would I do that?_

**Yes, really. Doesn't that require some level of intelligent thinking? Does Inuyasha have any level of intelligent thinking?**

_You're a PART of me, idiot. Why would you insult yourself?_

Inuyasha, your idiocy is so vast that you could use it to inspire a five-hundred-page book.

**A SERIES of five-hundred page books.**

You know what? I bet it could be a best seller.

**I'm liking this idea more and more.**

_Assholes._

**We're only as much of an asshole as you are.**

"Fine! I'm an asshole! I'M AN ASSHOLE! I'M AN A-S-S-H-O-L-E! I'm a FUCKING ASSHOLE! EVERYBODY, COME GAWK AT THE ASSHOLE! IF I WERE IN A ZOO THE PLAQUE WOULD SAY 'DANGEROUS ASSHOLE: LIKES TO DISMEMBER PEOPLE WHO GAWK AT HIM SO STAY BACK YOU ASSHOLES!' _HAPPY _NOW?!"

It took ten minutes of stares for Inuyasha to realize that he had said that out loud. But even Inuyasha has a hard time of ignoring people when they begin to gather up their children and consider calling the police.

Or perhaps the zoo.

KAGOME

"I HATE him," I moaned to Rin and Sango.

Sango had caught up to us a while ago, and we were now just entering the building. Due to the incident with Yura and Tsubaki, all three of us were now late to class.

"You guys want to just go home for today?" Sango muttered. "Hosenki's screaming might make us so deaf anyway that we need to go to the hospital."

Rin cringed. "You know what? I think I'm beginning to feel sick."

"Oh no you don't. We're all suffering through this together, come on," I muttered. I grinned at her. "Don't worry, I won't let him make you deaf."

Rin grinned back. "Same here. Though if you do go deaf, there's no way I'm giving you an ear transplant. Sorry, but I happen to have an attachment to my ears."

"She's not kidding," I told Sango. "She named them."

Sango raised an eyebrow at us.

Rin grinned brightly. "This one is Daichi Aiko Aikira Chiyo Chikako Cho. And this one's Kyo."

Rin and I began to giggle. Sango sighed, grinning. "You guys are weird. But then again, my best friend is a pervert who feels me up every day, so I can't talk, can I?"

Unfortunately, our giggles were cut short by our arrival at our lockers. We were silent as we gathered our books. For a few minutes, we just stood outside the door, staring at it, hoping that maybe the roof would come crashing in and one of us would break their leg so we would have an excuse to run away.

I had never known how interesting ceiling tiles could be before this moment.

You would think that after having your life threatened by the school sluts, things like coming to class late wouldn't really bother you so much. Alas, apparently not.

The fact that I just said "alas" shows just how freaked out I am.

"Anybody want to have a tragic accident, fall down the stairs, and break their spine so we can have an excuse to go in late?" I suggested.

"It's your idea, why don't you do it," Sango said.

"Guys, aren't we overreacting?" Rin asked nervously. "How bad can it be? Is Hosenki that mean?"

"He hasn't seemed so bad…" I said nervously.

"Our lateness isn't gonna help…" Sango pointed out. She sighed. "But hey, you're right. If Kagome can calm Inuyasha's demon, she'll probably be able to turn Hosenki's adamant spears into flowers."

"_Adamant spears?!_" Rin and I squealed.

Hmm… wouldn't that be corporal punishment? Is that legal in Tokyo?

If I come home from school in a full body cast, I will sue this city.

"Speaking of demons," I said suddenly, grasping at any opportunity for a diversion from the door in front of us, "Why was I able to calm Inuyasha's demon down? And what did you mean by that it could corrupt his soul?"

"Every time Inuyasha's demon comes out, his human side gets a little weaker," Sango said. "So eventually, if it comes out too often, he'll lose the human side for good and he'll be stuck as a full-blooded, crazy demon for the rest of his life. People don't take kindly to demons rampaging the street, so… the rest of his life probably wouldn't be long anyway."

Would it be considered rude to grin at this last part?

Sango shook her head. "I know you hate him, but… Inuyasha is nicer than he seems. The last person I can remember him acting this way toward was maybe when he first met… Kikyo, I guess."

I rolled my eyes. "So you're saying he makes my life hell cause he _loves _me?"

Sango grinned. "You never know. He seems to hate you even more than he hated Kikyo."

"Yeah, but he hates me because he hates me. No other reason," I said, trying to keep the glumness out of my voice.

"Then why would his demon come out to protect you?"

Something told me there was a miscommunication here.

I choked. "T-to _protect _me? It tried to KILL me!"

"His demon can't really control itself sometimes. It might have been trying to kill you, but it also might have been trying to make sure you were okay. The problem is, it's so strong and wild that even when it's trying to help you, it could still hurt or even kill you."

I sighed. "Look, Inuyasha hates me. Why would his demon come out to protect me?"

"Why don't you ask him that?"

"I'm never talking to him again."

"Aren't you guys married for Family Living?"

"We're getting a divorce, I told you!"

The door opened.

Hosenki glared down at us. "Not that we wouldn't love to hear exactly who you are divorcing, girls, but if you would like to come inside, math can be quite interesting too. Especially in detention, which is where you three will be today after school."

We groaned, heading to our seats. But after a discussion about adamant spears and body casts, detention almost seemed a relief.

But maybe it was just so he could maim us… without witnesses.

I gulped.

I checked my phone, feeling it vibrate.

Upset about something?

I frowned; I didn't recognize the number. I glanced at Sango and Rin, on my either side. They leaned over to look at the text. Both shrugged.

Somebody tapped my shoulder. I turned around—and saw him.

Hakudoshi was leaning towards me, surprisingly close. I jumped, turning back around in my seat so that I was facing Hosenki. I have a feeling that our teacher isn't a man to cross twice.

My phone vibrated again.

Grimacing, I checked the message.

Yeah, you're definitely upset.

After a moment of deliberation, I texted back. Hakudoshi had done nothing yet to hurt me… and Inuyasha didn't like him, so how bad could he be?

I'm just wondering what kind of torture Hosenki has in store for me in detention.

Ooh, detention. Never thought you were a bad kid.

It wasn't my fault!

I know that.

I stared at the phone, and jumped nearly a mile when it buzzed again.

"Nearly" a mile happens to be pretty high, so when my knee hit the bottom of the desk Hosenki turned around to glare at me.

"Are you having trouble sitting still, Higurashi?"

"Ah—uh—"

"Are you having trouble speaking, Higurashi?"

"What—no, I—"

"Then could you tell me how to solve the problem on the board? Higurashi?"

I glanced at the board, already feeling dizzy. Oh no… he was going to burn me in detention… maybe tear off my limbs… maybe both….

Rin was just as clueless as I was. I glanced at Sango, and to my relief, she pointed to her paper.

"Um… ten decigrams per cubic milliliter?"

Hosenki smiled very slightly. "Could you tell me how Miss Takeda obtained that answer, Higurashi?"

Why did he have to same my name so many times?!

I blushed furiously, and the class laughed. "Um… I…"

"It's not her fault."

I turned around to stare at Hakudoshi.

Hakudoshi winked at me, to my terror, and then lied with a completely straight face to Hosenki. Well—it wasn't really a lie—exactly… it was kind of true.

"I've been bothering her, sir," he said smoothly. "She just was trying to get me to leave her alone. But I will now, sir. I'm sorry I've been a distraction to you, Miss Higurashi."

He bowed his head to me, violet eyes intense and burning into mine.

I nodded back, uneasy, and muttered, "It's okay."

Hosenki's eyes narrowed at us, but he turned away from me and I sighed in relief.

I checked my phone to see what Hakudoshi had texted.

I have to say… if I were picking the most probable torture… it would probably be slow impalement with adamants. That's Hosenki's favorite.

I was just beginning to notice that Hakudoshi never abbreviated his words while texting.

And once you start judging people by the way they text, you know you're going crazy.

I texted back, Lol, thanks for the encouragement.

No problem.

I glanced at Hakudoshi from the corner of my eye. He gave me a small smile. Maybe if his smile hadn't looked so creepy, I would have smiled back.

As it was, I turned back in my seat to face front before I could get in trouble and _really _be impaled by adamant spears.

I received two texts, this time from Sango and Rin.

Sango's read, will u stop texting hakudoshi? Seriously, its like u 2 r flirting.

I typed back, Y would I flirt with hakudoshi? Haven't u guys spent the last 4 days telling me how evil he is?

I read Rin's next.

What is he saying to u? Is he nice? He actually seems ok, despite what everyone says.

I think so too… mostly.

Same here. But sometimes he scares me, even when he's being nice. U should b careful.

I got a response from Sango:

Look, were not trying to tell u what 2 do. But I don't no if hakudoshi is trustworthy.

Look, I'll b on my guard.

"You're just doing this to piss Inuyasha off, aren't you?" Sango whispered to me.

Rin turned to grin at me. I glared at them both.

"Well?" they pressed.

I sighed. "Okay, partly. But you know what, I don't like judging people before I even know them. And… Hakudoshi seems okay. If he starts going crazy or evil or ends up in league with Yura and Tsubaki or something, then I'll make sure I avoid him as much as possible."

I already _wanted _to avoid him as much as possible. Just those eyes… his violet eyes, reading into mine like he could see into my soul… and his skin, pale like that of a corpse… it made me shudder.

But if it made Inuyasha shudder to think of me hanging out with Hakudoshi, then I would deal.

It's worth it.

**A/N: Hey everyone! I would've updated yesterday, but there was a problem with the server or something so I couldn't. Thanks so much for the reviews, I'm so happy I got ten—even though two were from the same person, but hey, it doesn't matter! So special thanks to you awesome people who reviewed: inuyasharoxx, xXthenextbookwormXx, LunaP, k, I am the Wind Mizuki Kay, beautiful-surreal, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, and SuperHarryPotterNerd! You, and the rest of my readers, are awesome! I appreciate the faves and alerts and stuff too! So, guys—want more? Next post is on Tuesday or when I get ten reviews! Reviews make me update faster, and I always feel giddy reading them! So, review! **


	19. Males and their Aggression Problems

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hey guys! Nineteen is up! Read and REVIEW!**

CHAPTER NINETEEN: MALES… AND THEIR AGGRESSION PROBLEMS

During art, Koga came to sit next to me again.

"Hey Kagome," he said, smiling and kissing my hand.

"Hi Koga," I said, politely maneuvering my hand out of his grasp.

I glanced back at the picture I was drawing. If you could call it a picture; when I'd first began, I had thought I was drawing a picture of me as a demon. Now, it kind of resembled me as a potato.

"Very nice," Koga said, looking at my drawing. This time the sarcasm was clear.

"Shut up," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Kagome!" Ayame said. "Do you like my drawing?"

She held a picture out for me to see—and I was surprised when I realized that it was actually really good.

"Whoa," I said, taking the paper from my hands. It was a picture of Ayame, sitting on a cliff, alone, with a wide expanse of forest below her and rain pouring down. I glanced warily at Ayame. "That's amazing, but are you depressed or something?"

She rolled her eyes. "No. But it's good that you feel the emotion in it."

"_Feel _the emotion, it's like… just looking at this makes me depressed. It's amazing. Koga, look."

Koga looked at the picture with a frown. "That's really good," he admitted. He looked at Ayame. "I didn't know you could draw."

Ayame grinned broadly. I wished I could tell her how red in the face she'd become. "Thanks," she said.

"Uh, no problem. Later girls, I'm gonna go over there," Koga said, gesturing to some of his jock friends.

He left, and Ayame sighed. "Maybe I am depressed," she said gloomily, sitting down.

"Depressed or not, this is amazing," I told her.

"You shouldn't be depressed," Rin said. "You have an awesome talent, and if Koga doesn't care for the awesome person you are, then he doesn't deserve you."

Ayame just sighed. "I wish I could see it your way."

"I guess we can't really relate," I said. "Seeing as we're not in love with anyone." I grinned at Rin. "Well, I guess I can't speak for my sister."

Rin rolled her eyes. "I'm not in love with anyone." She looked down, mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like, "Who would love me anyway?"

I glared at her. We'd sort that out later.

But Rin grinned now. "And actually… Kagome is in love. She just doesn't know it yet."

I slapped her playfully on the arm, and turned to Ayame. "Rin has an unfortunate tendency of confusing hate and love."

Ayame grinned. "Well, aren't they the same thing?"

I growled at her.

"So, who is it?"

"Who?"

"The guy you love," Ayame said, rolling her eyes.

"Wh-what? I don't love him! I HATE him! Just seeing his stupid face makes me want to scratch out my eyes…" I trailed off before I began to get carried away. No matter how annoying Inuyasha is, I had no plans on blinding myself any time soon.

Blinding _him _is another story.

Koga walked me, Ayame, and Rin to history. We met up with Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha in the hallway. As soon as Inuyasha came into view, Koga grabbed my hand. We'd been doing this every day—I knew that Koga was fully aware that I didn't have real feelings for him and the hand-holding meant nothing, so holding hands wasn't really that unbearable. And the pros far outweighed the cons. For me, it was satisfying to know that it annoyed the hell out of the inuhanyou I had previously fantasized about blinding. And for Koga… well, it was that, plus the fact that he got to hold my hand.

"What, you're just holding hands now?" Inuyasha hissed. "Not making out or anything?"

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up, Inuyasha. Why do you care, anyway?"

Miroku and Sango grinned evilly. "Yes, Inuyasha. Why do you care?"

Inuyasha groaned. "I don't! I don't give a fuck what you guys do! Sleep with each other for all I care!"

Eww.

Koga grinned. "Okay!"

I slapped him on the shoulder. "Just kidding, Kagome," he said hastily, laughing.

What kind of a girl did Inuyasha think I was? Koga and I never kissed—that was one thing I refused to do in my efforts to drive Inuyasha up a wall—and now Inuyasha thought we'd end up in bed together?

Idiot.

"Idiot, idiot, idiot," I chanted to myself as Sango, Rin, and I took our seats.

"I can hear you, you know," Inuyasha said irritably.

I smiled at him. "I know."

"Keh. Chick."

"So you're not calling me a bitch anymore?"

The question came out like a taunt, but I really was genuinely curious.

He glared at me, saying nothing.

I glanced at Sango and Rin. They smiled at me, and then at each other.

I growled in response; I _hate _inside jokes.

"Hey, it's your turn with the baby, anyway," Inuyasha said.

I groaned. "You give it to me during Family class, remember?"

"Sure. Just reminding you," Inuyasha said, smirking at me. "Cause you're too stupid to remember."

"Not listening."

"Keh, yeah you are."

"No I'm not."

"But you are."

"Not."

"You can't help yourself."

By now Inuyasha was turned around in his chair, his elbows on my desk, face resting in his hands. I leaned back, uncomfortable at our proximity.

"What the hell does that mean?" I demanded.

He smiled gleefully. "You can't get enough of me. Face it."

I think that _Inuyasha _should face the fact that he has to GET A GRIP ON REALITY.

My mouth fell open as my cheeks burned. "You jerk! What about you? You're the one who keeps talking to me."

He glared at me, because he knew I was right.

Point one Kagome.

"Keh, wench, I just talk to you cause I know you hate it."

"If you don't give a crap about me, then why do you care so much about making me unhappy?"

"Who says I like making you unhappy?"

I glared at him. "Nobody has to say it."

He glared right back at me, his amber-eyed glare substantially more threatening than mine. "Keh."

With a dignified snort, I turned away from him—a bit hard, seeing as his face was blocking my view to the chalkboard.

"Hey," Koga said from a few seats away from us, "Mutt. I heard a rumor that you lost it today."

At the moment, I didn't know what was coming. Who could have guessed that this sentence would start a miniature world war three?

Inuyasha growled at him. "Lost what?"

Koga rolled his eyes. "I heard that your _demon _came out—and that you ATTACKED Kagome."

Oh no.

I winced at his words, remembering Inuyasha's claws at my shirt collar. His face, enraged, his eyes, wide and red and terrified, boring into mine… and me, almost completely helpless… it had been so close. And the worst part was, he hadn't even seemed to care. For a moment, back then, I had thought he _would _care. As angry as I was, I thought… I had thought he felt… guilty. Okay, I'll admit it. I thought that INUYASHA TAKAHASHI felt guilty.

Stupid.

But Inuyasha's eyes flashed. "Ass, I SAVED her!"

For someone who didn't give a crap about me, he seemed pretty defensive. But it was probably just cause it was Koga.

"That's not what I heard."

"Yeah? Well you need to get your hearing checked," Inuyasha grumbled, turning away.

"I heard that you almost killed Yura and Tsubaki—"

"They're whores anyway," Inuyasha interrupted.

Koga shrugged impatiently as if to say _I'm not saying that isn't true_,before continuing, "And then Kagome stopped you—"

I could see it in his eyes. Koga was getting to him… and treading dangerous waters.

"She was interfering."

Unappreciative, much?

"…and then you pounced on her," Koga finished.

Inuyasha couldn't hold it in any longer. "WHAT?!"

"So it didn't happen?"

"Jackass."

"So you're saying you didn't grab her wrist and almost dig your claws into her skin?"

I remembered the feeling.

"I'm warning you…"

"So you're saying you didn't grab her by the collar of her shirt and almost choke her?"

Even I could tell that, somehow, Koga was about to step across the wrong line.

"Ookami…" Inuyasha's voice was trembling now, though with what emotion I couldn't tell.

"You're saying if Kagome hadn't tried to shoot miko energy at you, you wouldn't have killed her?"

Crossed it.

"Fuck. You."

Koga smirked. "Hit a nerve."

With a roar, Inuyasha jumped to his feet and lunged at Koga.

And that, my friends, is how you piss off a psychotic inuhanyou.

Within seconds Koga was pinned to the wall, Inuyasha's claws at his throat. Snarls erupted in the room, followed shortly by the screams of the students. I had seen very few fistfights before now. There had been one back in Okinawa, between senior boys, but they had been humans. It had been scary enough.

This was terrifying, and the worst part was, I had a feeling it was over ME.

"You're gonna get it now," Inuyasha hissed.

"I don't think so, mutt-face. Stay away from Kagome. You'll only end up hurting her."

"Go to hell!"

Koga dodged his punch, kicking Inuyasha in the stomach. The glass and I gasped, staring, and the rest of the class immediately jumped out of their desks to clear the floor. Just in time, too, because at that moment Koga was sent flying into three desks near Myoga.

"You're pretty sensitive," Koga sneered, stumbling to his feet. "Seeing as we're talking about a girl you don't even like."

"Go fuck yourself, Ookami, and get the hell away from me!" Inuyasha shouted as Koga lunged for him.

"Stop it!" Rin shrieked.

"Cut it out!" I yelled. "You'll hurt each other!"

"Sorry Kagome, I'm doing this for you," Koga grunted.

"Idiot!" I shouted.

Inuyasha grinned. "See? She's taking my side."

"That referred to both of you," I growled.

"So, dog, what are you fighting for? Just aggression's sake? Or do I see some red and blue in your eyes…?"

Inuyasha roared, kicking Koga in the stomach. This time he sailed across the room, landing on the desk under which Myoga was shaking with terror.

"Stop this at once!" Myoga yelled.

"Pathetic half breed," Koga hissed at Inuyasha.

"You're both pathetic!" Sango shouted. "And Koga, you're out of line."

"Nah, it's fine," Inuyasha spat. "Oi, Koga! Anything else you wanna say before I punch your lights out?"

"Yeah," Koga said, spitting blood out of his mouth. "You can—"

"Sit down now. All of you."

We turned toward the door to see three adults standing in the doorway—holding tranquilizer guns.

Well, I sure as hell hadn't expected THAT.

Inuyasha and Koga growled at each other, but they glanced warily at the loaded guns, slowly calming and separating.

"Sango?" Rin whispered. "What's going on?"

"Demons are by nature much more aggressive than humans," Sango explained. We nodded—we knew that already. "So sometimes, when they start fighting, the school needs to use force to get them back in line."

We gulped.

I hated Inuyasha and right now I thought Koga was an idiot, but that didn't mean I wanted to see them shot full of darts. Well… not that that wouldn't be maybe the tiniest bit funny….

I'm beginning to think I have a rather sadistic sense of humor.

"What was this fight about?" one of the people said.

Koga and Inuyasha growled at each other. It seemed as if they were conversing without speaking, almost deciding what to say. What _would _they say?

Then they both pointed at me.

"Her."

TYPICAL.

**A/N: Poor Kagome. Always caught up in the wrong things.**

**Thanks to mika, beautiful-surreal, k, LunaP, I am the Wind Mizuki Kay, xXthenextbookworkXx, and inuyasharoxx for reviewing! I love you guys! And I know that a lot of you want to see more Rin-Sesshomaru—don't worry, I'm not forgetting about them. There'll be Rin-Sessh in the next chapter! Sorry there wasn't in this one! But seriously guys, I need ideas for what to make happen to progress their relationship. I'm pretty sure of where I want to go, but if you can give me ways to get there, you'll get more Rin-Sessh more frequently! So I hope that motivates you to REVIEW and give me ideas :). Reviews make me update faster. So… four days till next chapter, give or take :P. See ya then!**


	20. Protector

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hey guys! Nineteen is up! Read and REVIEW!**

CHAPTER TWENTY: PROTECTOR

Rin and Sango watched anxiously as Kagome groaned, glared, muttered something under her breath, and then followed Koga, Inuyasha, and the three armed adults out of the room.

"They're not gonna arrest her, are they?" Rin squeaked.

Sango grimaced. "Nah. She wasn't fighting, she probably won't even get in trouble—they just want her take on what was happening and why it happened."

"Not like Kagome's going to be able to tell them anything," Rin muttered. "Was she even the cause of the fight?"

"How would I know? The logic of men is unintelligible."

Rin nodded in agreement.

The rest of the class took their seats. Throughout the period, Rin struggled not to think about Inuyasha's older brother. She refused to look at him. But once in awhile, she would give up and peek at him from the corner of her eye.

He was never looking at her.

She sighed. Sesshomaru had seemed so kind, that first day, when he had walked her to science class. But he'd ignored her ever since. If anything, it seemed like he was _avoiding _her.

_What did I do wrong? _She asked herself miserably.

Maybe he was just normally unresponsive and cold. After all, he had just watched his brother throw a wolf demon across the room and be punched in the gut, and he hadn't said a word. It had been as if he wasn't even _interested. _

The bell rang, and Rin stood up. Sango asked if Rin wanted to walk with them, but Rin said no, that her class was in the other direction, so Sango left with Miroku.

Rin sighed. Sesshomaru had left the room without a backward glance.

_Forget about him, _she told herself. _You don't need him. Just forget it._

But the more she told herself to forget, the more she thought about him.

He lingered in her mind, like a sweet-smelling poison.

_Exactly what he is, _Rin thought. _Seems nice on the outside, but he'll only bring trouble. That's what everyone says. They wouldn't lie to me._

But as she opened the door to Renkotsu's classroom, she couldn't help but think, _Unless they're not lying. They probably really believe what they say. But that doesn't mean they're right._

Rin didn't even bother to glance at Sesshomaru this time, as she made her way dejectedly to her seat. She knew he wouldn't be looking at her.

She kept her head down, sitting, because she was frightened of what she would see if she looked up. Even though it was the fourth day of school, she still felt intimidated by the seniors around her.

"Everyone, listen," Renkotsu called the class to attention before the bell rang. "I'm going to assign you into lab groups, and give you your procedure. Then I want you to go straight to your lab tables and get to work."

Rin listened vaguely as Renkotsu called the names. All she knew was that Sesshomaru had been put in a group already, and she was not in that group.

_Snap out of it, Rin… you'll miss your name…_

But she couldn't have possibly missed her name, given who she would be paired with.

"Miss Higurashi, Mr. Hiten, and Miss Abi."

WHAT?!

Rin sat bolt upright, feeling as if the world were crashing down around her. Face turning a sickly shade of white, Rin sank in her chair, hunching her shoulders, hoping against hope that maybe the floor would rise and swallow her up.

"Hey! Bitch, get your ass off the chair and over here."

Rin gulped, turning to see Abi glaring at her, Hiten beside her. They stood by their lab table. Glancing at Renkotsu, she saw that her teacher was paying no attention.

"D-don't call me that," Rin whispered, eyes wide in fear.

Hiten and Abi glanced at each other, and then began to laugh.

"Don't call you what?" Abi asked.

"D-don't…"

"Speak louder, idiot, I can't hear you."

"Please…"

"That's pathetic," Hiten said, smirking. "Come on, let's do the lab. Maybe pouring hydrochloric acid on this midget would get her attention."

With a small yelp, Rin stood.

Hiten and Abi laughed as Rin, head down, followed them to their lab table.

_Kagome… why can't you be here with me… why do I have to be so damn shy…_

_ IT'S NOT FAIR._

Lab was hell.

Rin would have been able to follow the procedure correctly, if Hiten and Abi hadn't been distracting her the whole time. Rin might not have missed step four if Abi hadn't grabbed Rin by the back of her head and dunked her head under the running faucet, so that the water washed away her tears. But what really got to Rin was how the whole class turned a blind eye.

_Sesshomaru included, _Rin thought bitterly as she dried her face with a paper towel.

She turned to the procedure. What step were they on?

"Um… um…" she stuttered. "W-what step are we on?"

"Hmm?" Hiten asked.

Rin realized with a shock that she had just interrupted a heated make-out session between her lab partners.

_Do they really do that HERE??? _Rin squeaked in her head. _In the middle of CLASS!?_

"I… uh…"

"Stupid, we're on step five."

Rin immediately continued onto step five, following the procedure, pouring the contents of beaker six into test tube two, while Hiten and Abi continued with their "work."

To Rin's, and probably everyone else's, shock, the test tube exploded.

Abi screamed, jumping backward, as did Rin, while the rest of the class yelped and then burst into laughter. Hiten rounded on Rin.

"You bitch! You're hopeless. Why the hell is she in a senior class? She must be retarded or something," Hiten said carelessly.

"I'm not retarded," Rin whispered, hands in fists, entire frame shaking.

Maybe it was something in her voice… the way it went down an octave, the way it shook. Maybe it was her white knuckles, her trembling fists. But something in Rin, something which Hiten and Abi missed completely, caused a silence to fall upon the class. Tension began to rise from their lab table, a stillness in the atmosphere that drew the eyes of almost everyone in the class, like a magnet. But Rin didn't notice a pair of golden eyes narrow dangerously at her partners.

Hiten snorted. "Screwed up chick."

Rin stopped shaking.

Abi walked over to Rin, feigning an expression of concern. "Is she _okaaay?_"

"Messed up is what she is," Hiten scoffed.

That was it.

"I'm not messed up," Rin said very quietly.

Hiten and Abi turned to her in disbelief.

"What did you say?" Abi asked, voice sickly sweet.

"I'm not messed up," Rin said, voice louder, looking her in the eye.

Abi's eyes narrowed at the gleam of fury in Rin's face.

"Say that ONE MORE TIME," Hiten said, grinning.

"I'M NOT MESSED UP!" Rin screamed, abandoning all remnants of control.

Suddenly Rin was pinned to a wall, Hiten's hand on her neck. His friends cheered him on, a raucous whooping and cat-calling which made Rin want to shrink away deep inside herself… to disappear from the world forever.

"We'll see about that after I mess up your pretty little face," Hiten growled, grinning, high on the ecstasy of cruelty.

Rin wanted to scream, she wanted to shout, anything, but all she could do was cry, she was suffocating, tears streamed soundlessly down her cheeks… where was Renkotsu? _Shouldn't he be doing something about this!? Please… Renkotsu… where are you, Renkotsu-sensei…? _But despite Rin's terrified, searching eyes roving the room, he was nowhere to be found.

But Rin wasn't terrified enough to miss the shadow which loomed over Hiten a second before he was hurled to the ground.

Abi rushed to Hiten, as did a few others, but Sesshomaru had eyes only for Rin. Gently he stepped forward, closer. Rin cringed.

_Is he going to hurt me? _She thought, petrified.

She whimpered, throat still bruised, and gasped in fright as Sesshomaru raised his hand.

"Sssh," he said softly, brushing her lips with one finger.

She was quiet in an instant. In fact, she was frozen. She couldn't have moved if she'd wanted to.

Which she wasn't sure she did.

His hand moved to gently wipe the tears off of her face.

"You shouldn't cry," he said, voice impassive. "It only encourages them."

Rin gulped, nodding.

"Are you okay?"

It was almost like a statement. Rain gaped at him.

"I-I… yes."

Her heart was beating fast, and she felt a blush staining her cheeks when his palm touched her skin.

But then he removed his hand and turned away from her. Rin slowly slid to the ground, sitting, trying desperately to catch her breath.

The class scurried away as Sesshomaru lifted Hiten up to his feet by the throat.

"You will never bother her again," Sesshomaru said, face blank, voice impassive yet deadly.

Hiten stared at him, and then hissed, "Why do you care anyway?"

"You will never bother her again. Do you understand?"

Sesshomaru shook him a little to emphasize his point.

Wide-eyed, Hiten nodded vigorously. Rin wanted to cheer.

Sesshomaru dropped Hiten, turning away in disdain. "Scum."

Hiten stood up, scrambling away from Sesshomaru like the rest of the class. Rin stared at him from her position on the floor, wondering what Sesshomaru was going to do now.

_Is he going to talk to me? _She wondered, awed. _I-is he going to… t-to…_

She could still feel the heat lingering from his touch, warming her face, warming her entire body. She wanted him to touch her again. She wanted him to cup her cheek, saying it was alright, that he'd always be there, that he cared for her, that he loved her, that…

He turned around and went back to his lab table to finish the experiment.

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks so much for the reviews, I love you so much! So here's to SuperHarryPotterNerd, k, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, I am the Wind Mizuki Kay, beautiful-surreal, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, hihi123, xXthenextbookworkXx, LunaP, and keiko-kun for reviewing! Let's go for nine this time, and chap 21 (wow that's a big number) will be up in four days give or take—so review, review, REVIEW! :D **


	21. Life Sucks

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's 21 :D! Read and REVIEW!**

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: LIFE SUCKS

Really?

Really??

REALLY?!

I have to say, this is a new low. A quite unexpected new low. See, maybe, one day in the future, I might have had a fight with Inuyasha that ended up in a screaming match and we had to get rocketed to the moon for disturbing the planet. But never in my life had I predicted that today, I would be spending third period being escorted down the hallway by three people holding TRANQUILIZER GUNS.

"I'm really, really sorry, Kagome," Koga said, taking my hands, once again trying to get me to forgive him.

"Save it," I snapped, slapping his hands away.

I'll consider forgiving him after I get out of jail.

I grumbled to myself the entire way about being dragged into something for no reason, and about how it wasn't my problem guys have aggression problems and an overload of testosterone racing through their goddamn blood streams. I'm pretty sure that my constant string of complaints was fairly amusing to Inuyasha, because he was snickering the entire way.

"You shouldn't laugh; it's your fault she's getting brought with us in the first place," Koga told him.

"Keh, what about you?" Inuyasha retorted.

"At least I apologized."

"Why the hell would I apologize to _her?_"

"Maybe cause _she _won't hesitate to testify against _either _of you in court," I growled threateningly.

Obviously, it didn't sound quite as menacing as I'd hoped, because both boys started laughing.

"You are very cute when you're angry," Koga said, touching my cheek.

Just a tip: girls don't like it when you get them sent to the principal's office and then flirt with them. You'd think that would be common sense.

Sigh.

Before I could brush Koga's hand from my cheek, a certain angry idiot pinned him to the wall for me.

"Don't fucking touch her you mangy wolf," Inuyasha growled.

Koga glared at him. "Get your hand off my neck, half breed. You're dirtying my sexy scent."

It was probably a good thing for all of us that Inuyasha didn't get to respond to that before a gun was pointed in his face.

"I don't want to shoot you, but I will if I have to," the man said.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Seems like you'd be pretty damn happy to shoot me." He smirked. "Not like you could. But don't worry, death's too easy for the wolf cub."

Inuyasha released him and walked away.

"Um…" I looked at him tentatively. "Do they always do this? You know, with the guns?"

"Keh. Only with the strong people. Like me," he said, smirking. "I guess they didn't need security in your beloved little wherever-the-hell you came from, huh, wench?"

My hands balled into fists. "Okinawa, idiot. And why do you keep calling me wench?"

He grinned. It infuriated me; but then again, so did everything else he did.

"Cause calling you a bitch makes you cry."

I hissed. "You jerk. Like you care."

"I'm not calling you a bitch, am I?" Inuyasha challenged.

I glared at him. "No," I admitted. "So that's it? You're a coward who doesn't like to see girls cry? That's the only reason you stopped calling me a bitch? Cause it makes you feel like you have some scrap of a conscience?"

Was that really it?

_Why does that bother me?!_

I should be relieved he'd decided to take the insults down a notch. Not happy, but… why should I be _upset _about it?!

"Keh."

To my surprise, Inuyasha turned away from me, refusing to say anything further on the subject.

The rest of the walk to the principal's office was a silent one. Unfortunately, it was also a short one, and it was with difficulty that I prevented myself from screaming as we sat down in three chairs in the principal's office. Our guards left, closing the door behind them, and we were left alone.

I was lucky that I didn't make the snide comment about this whole business which I'd been about to make, because it turned out that we weren't alone at all.

"So."

It was a voice like satin—soft, cool, and slippery as a snake. It was a voice that made me whirl around and gape.

He was a demon, that much was clear from the intense demonic aura which radiated off of his skin. It was one of the strongest demonic auras I'd ever felt, second only to Naraku's.

His skin was a pale, shimmering blue. His eyes were black, a green ring running around the pupil. And his hair… his hair was completely white.

Not silver-white, like Inuyasha. Just… white. So white I had a feeling that sunlight would make it glow bright enough to blind a person.

Mental note: don't hang out on beaches with the principal.

I glanced between Koga and Inuyasha. "That doesn't faze either of you? That he just came out of nowhere like that?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "We're demons. We can smell him, idiot."

I glared at him.

Koga sighed. "What he means to say, _Kagome_, is that I am a demon and he is a half breed, and therefore _I _can smell him while he can get just the barest whiff of his scent."

"Shut the fuck up, wolf shit."

Sensing that this was not the time to take sides, especially in front of the principal (at least I assumed that was who this demon standing above us was, cause if it wasn't then we were in big trouble), I ducked my head and kept quiet.

Good job, Kagome. Save your curses and screams for _after _you get out of this.

"Inuyasha, Koga, I would appreciate it if you would not be starting fights. That will not help your position."

Inuyasha and Koga turned to the principal in surprise, both at the fact that he had used their first names and at the very, _very _subtle undercurrent running through his tone.

It was like cyanide laced through a lollipop. Or maybe that was just me thinking. After all, there's only so much Tokyo you can take without going headfirst off the deep end.

And as I happen to be Tokyo-intolerant, as I hope you've guessed by now or else you're incredibly stupid, I fall off the deep end pretty fast.

But the principal smiled, and when he did, it was like the cyanide fell away, leaving just an innocent lollipop, looking somehow more out of place in its deliciousness than it had when it had been deadly.

"I always prefer to go on a first name basis with my students. Especially the ones which I hope to know quite well later," he said, giving us a meaningful smile while his satin-cyanide voice remained cool. The man was beginning to remind me a little of Hakudoshi. "You may call me Tsukino. So… Inuyasha, Koga, Kagome. Four days and already we're bringing people down here with tranquilizer guns. Tell me what happened, please?"

Something in his voice hinted to me that he wasn't really very interested in what had happened at all. But no matter whoever and whatever he was, I knew that _I _was _very _interested in the outcome of all this.

Time to make it VERY, VERY clear that I have no association with these two. At all. Nothing. Nada.

Did you hear me?! NOTHING!

So I glared at them, which wasn't too hard because I was mad enough to purify them both into ashes.

"Why are you blaming me?" Koga asked. "Inuyasha attacked first. Anything I did was in self defense."

I sighed. "Principal Tsukino, I'm so sorry about this, and I want you to know that if it was somehow my fault I'm sorry, but I don't think it was my fault and I don't even know why I'm here."

"Just like a girl, running away," Inuyasha scoffed.

"Idiot," I muttered.

"Leave Kagome alone," Koga told him.

"Yeah? Make me."

"I'd be happy to."

"And now we see what the problem is, and where you, Kagome, come in," Tsukino said, speaking so unexpectedly and so calmly that it got the boys' and my attention. "Inuyasha, why did you attack Koga?"

"Cause he's a jackass," Inuyasha said casually, leaning backwards. "What else is there to say?"

Tsukino smiled at him, though it was more of a smirk. "But don't you always think Koga is a jackass?"

"Hey!" Koga protested. "I sense bias!"

"You're wrong," Tsukino said, still smiling at Inuyasha while talking to Koga, which probably creeped me out just as much as it would if he had suddenly sprouted wings and took off through the ceiling.

"Will you stop smiling at me?" Inuyasha demanded irritably. "I wanna get this over with."

"Ah, but it makes such serious things so much more pleasant if we do them while smiling," Tsukino informed him.

Inuyasha muttered something under his breath. Use your imagination.

"So," Tsukino said, "What did Koga say to you that made you angry?"

"Keh. He's had it coming to him for ages."

"Koga? Do you know?"

Koga sighed, and then smirked at Inuyasha. "You know what? I think I actually do have an inkling of what I might have said that could have so offended our little half demon friend here. See, earlier this morning, he—"

"Shut up."

"Don't you think Principal Tsukino deserves to know? It does relate to our argument."

This was cruel. Even I have to admit this was cruel. Much as I hate Inuyasha, I wouldn't want it to reach Tsukino that he lost control.

But apparently it already had reached him, because Tsukino said, "I know of this morning's events, and I am glad to see that both Kagome and Inuyasha have come out of it all right. Kagome, from what I have been told, you were quite impressive." He gave me another one of his creepy smiles that made me feel less like I was being praised and more like I was being _appraised. _I smiled back, hiding my unease—probably not so successfully.

Inuyasha glanced at me, and then at Tsukino. For once, when he looked at me it wasn't with anger or disgust. More like… something akin to…

No. I've already gone over this with myself a thousand times.

When Inuyasha feels guilty, I will eat my own hair.

"So," Tsukino said, sitting down in the chair across the desk from us and folding his long fingers in front of him. He looked at me, and I met his eyes for the first time, realizing something I hadn't noticed before: they were as black as the emptiest void.

It was almost like night, looking into those eyes, so dark and deep and mysterious that I felt myself sinking into them. But before I could fall too far, Koga's voice brought me back to reality. Shaken, I wrenched my gaze away from Tsukino's face, directing it instead at my own hands.

"So what?" Koga asked, glaring at Tsukino.

"So," Tsukino said, "What did you say, exactly?"

Koga spat on the desk. I resisted the urge to cringe. "I just reminded him about what happened earlier, and he went berserk."

Tsukino turned to Inuyasha.

"Keh," Inuyasha said. "That jackass has had it coming to him for years. Like I said before."

Tsukino turned to me. "Kagome? Would you like to comment?"

What should I say? Honesty? Lies? Wild stories which in the best of circumstances might be able to get Inuyasha exiled from the country?

I sighed. "I think they were fighting because Koga said Inuyasha would hurt me."

It was clear from the boys'—especially Inuyasha's—silence that I had struck gold.

Tsukino turned to them. "Is this true?"

Koga grinned at Inuyasha. Inuyasha growled at all of us, and then said, "What the hell is this, group therapy? A trial?"

Tsukino smiled. "Not exactly. I just want to understand the circumstances, so we can see how we can go about fixing them."

"There's nothing to fix," Inuyasha growled. "Unless me and Koga can fight it out."

Tsukino smiled a sweet smile which made him look like a total psychopath. "But I'm afraid we can't have that. So, Inuyasha? Is it true?"

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "I don't give a damn about that chick. I was pissed because Koga was saying I didn't have control over my demon."

I rolled my eyes. Koga smirked.

"WHAT?" Inuyasha roared. "What the fuck are you looking all smug about?"

"You need to work on your language," I remarked.

He stared at me.

I met his eyes. "Your vocabulary," I told him. "You need to learn words besides fuck, shit, dipshit, hell, and jackass. And bitch."

Well, that got to him, cause he fumed, too angry and probably just too damn irritated to speak.

Serves him right. Let Tsukino see him for the psycho he is. Then maybe he can get locked up. In an insane asylum. With a bunch of other crazy people who think he's a cute puppy that they can dress up in dolls clothes. Yes, I'm sure that would drive him mad.

Too bad I won't be there to see it.

"So now we have the problem," Tsukino said. "Inuyasha, you were offended that Koga suggested that you could not control yourself and would hurt Kagome. Koga, you antagonized him and probably were all too willing to continue the fight. Kagome, you were called here to be a witness. You are not in trouble, and you may leave."

I grinned gratefully. "Thanks," I said.

"Wait."

Uh-oh.

"I am going to give you a task. Could you do it for me?"

Well, with that creepy _you-have-no-choice-but-I'm-going-to-make-it-seem-like-you-do _smile, who could say no?

"Sure," I said uneasily.

What could it be? Did he want me to help him file papers? Make announcements? Tell a teacher something? Take detailed notes on Inuyasha's hopefully painful punishment? Hit Inuyasha until he went unconscious? Chain Inuyasha's wrists up and drag him to jail? Leave school? Leave Tokyo and go back to Okinawa? Chloroform Inuyasha and send _him _to Okinawa?

"Make sure these boys stay out of trouble."

Wait what?

Okay, I had expected something hard. Maybe something which required adjusting, or time, or SOMETHING. But I hadn't expected something FREAKING IMPOSSIBLE.

Inuyasha? Stay out of trouble? Koga? Both of them?

"Um…" I managed.

Tsukino smiled. "I'm sure you can manage, Kagome."

Something about that smile… something about the way our eyes locked and I had difficulty looking away… it made me agree.

And as I walked out of the principal's office with the out-of-control demon and half demon who had now become MY unfortunate responsibility, I realized that this day confirmed what I had been sure of ever since we moved to Tokyo.

Life sucks.

And within the next twenty minutes, of course, it just got worse.

We were in the hallway now, alone, the three of us. I turned to go to class, but what I didn't expect was for Inuyasha and Koga to glance at each other, glance at me, and then wordlessly start heading for the front door.

"Where are you going?" I asked, both curious and nervous—in my experience, whenever someone like Inuyasha glares at someone like Koga, it often ends in murder.

And now that I've been put in charge of these idiots, unfortunately, I can't let that happen.

I actually don't mind Koga so much; at least he's nice to me. But he tends to provoke Inuyasha—not saying Inuyasha isn't easily provoked—and when Inuyasha gets provoked, things go downhill really fast.

And somehow I end up at the bottom.

"Keh. Doesn't concern you," Inuyasha muttered.

"Uh, yeah, it kind of does," Koga reminded him.

I sighed. "Look, guys, I don't want enemies, but I don't want to get in trouble either and Tsukino just told me to watch out for you so—"

"Kagome, you have nothing to worry about," Koga assured me, clasping my hands in his and smiling down at me. "Don't worry. We're just going to go outside and have a talk. Why don't you go to class?"

He had to be kidding.

I sighed. "Do you mean a _talk out our problems _kind of talk or a _talk out our problems with our fists _kind of talk?" I asked apprehensively.

Inuyasha grinned. "She's too smart for you, Koga. Not like that's hard to be."

I wasn't sure whether that was a compliment to me, or an insult to Koga. Whatever. Knowing Inuyasha, if he said anything complimentary it probably wasn't deliberate.

"Guys, don't fight," I pleaded, knowing even as I said the words that it was futile.

"But it's for you," Koga told me, smiling.

I groaned. "HOW?"

"Yeah, really?" Inuyasha asked. "I'm just fighting cause I want to pound your face in. I don't give a shit about her."

"Would. It. KILL you to say my name?!" I exhaled sharply, grinding my teeth.

Inuyasha grinned. "Takes more than that to kill me."

"You're… ugh!"

Even Koga was a little amused at this. "Ugh?"

"Oh, just… just shut up. Both of you."

"You shut up," Inuyasha said.

"But if _I _shut up, one of you is going to end up dead on the ground," I growled.

Inuyasha grinned, pretending to be delighted. "Aww, you do care about me! I knew you couldn't resist."

"Couldn't resist _what_, exactly?" I scoffed.

Koga laughed. "Good one, Kagome!"

Inuyasha glared at us. "Keh."

Would it kill him to say a real word once in awhile?

"Look, we should just go to class," I said.

"Kagome, don't worry, we're just going to fight until one of us gives up, nobody will die and demons heal very quickly so no one will be hurt," Koga said, smiling sincerely. "I'm doing this for you, anyway. You should be happy."

"If you're doing it for me, will you _not _fight? Can you _restrain _yourself, for me?" I pleaded.

Yes, for me, and for my spotless school record which I really don't want stained with something like, "Kagome Higurashi let two psychotic teenagers fight to the death on school grounds on her fourth day of tenth grade in Tokyo, Japan."

Stuff like that just doesn't impress colleges these days.

"Keh, he's not gonna do anything for you," Inuyasha snapped.

I glared at him. "Well, seeing as _you're _definitely not going to do anything for me, I figured I'd better do the best I can to talk sense into the one person of the two of you who _does _have some decency."

Koga smiled brightly. "Thank you, Kagome."

I turned my glare on him. "SOME decency. I'll think more of you if you don't fight with Inuyasha."

He sighed. "Unfortunately, that is the one thing I cannot promise even to a beautiful woman like you."

"Why do you guys fight all the time?" I groaned. "Can't you even _try _to get along?"

"Keh," Inuyasha spat. "Why the hell would I try to get along with that wolf?"

"Mutt," Koga returned.

"Okay, I get it, you hate each other," I muttered. "And Inuyasha, I know you hate me too, but Koga, if you really are being nice to me, then why would you fight with Inuyasha and get all of us in trouble?"

"Why would you get in trouble?" Inuyasha and Koga asked at the same time.

I tapped my foot impatiently. "In case you didn't notice, I just got put in charge of you!"

And therein sentenced to my doom.

"Don't worry, Kagome," Koga told me. "You won't get in trouble, I promise."

I groaned, and then said wryly, "I hope you don't take this personally, but a promise doesn't count much from a guy I just met four days ago."

"Why should time matter? After all, I feel as if I have known you for several lifetimes."

And then, of course, he had to clasp my hands in his and peer intensely into my eyes like he seemed to do almost involuntarily whenever he saw me.

I was really starting to wonder whether he was going to ask me to marry him.

Nobody bothered Rin for the rest of the period.

In fact, people rarely spoke to her. Hiten and Abi ignored her completely, and the rest of the glass quickly looked in another direction whenever their eyes came near to hers. Rin was unsure what this meant, though she DID know what it proved:

Being singled out like that by Sesshomaru was something very, very significant.

Towards the end of the first lab period, as Rin was walking towards the counter to grab a fresh beaker, she bumped into someone. Almost impulsively she began to stutter her apologies, but the person—a senior, a DEMON—simply made a quick, formal apology and a short bow, and then left her standing there.

_It's like they're frightened of me, _Rin thought.

This bothered her as she walked back to her lab table. _I hate it when they tease me, _she thought. _But I don't like this either._

_ Am I really so scary?_

She glanced at her face in the reflection in the beaker of water she was filling. It looked the same. Big brown eyes, puffy black hair which stuck out at the bangs, wide cheekbones, eyebrows slightly raised—she'd always hated this part of her face, the tilted eyebrows. It made her look almost permanently surprised, very slightly, but still, it was annoying. So even when she was furious, she almost never looked it.

_Maybe it's a good thing, _Rin thought. _I mean, Kagome and everyone else loves me and thinks that I'm the purest person they've ever met. Well, Kagome does. And the rest of my family. But that's because they've never seen my darker side. And I must have one. Everyone does._

Suddenly her face bubbled out of the beaker, which in itself looked disturbing enough to make her reach up and make sure her forehead was not melting.

"Dang it," she hissed, yanking the beaker out of the stream of water and turning off the faucet. Water was dripping down the lab table, onto the floor, onto her shoes….

"I'm such a loser," she moaned, putting the beaker down and running—nearly slipping—to grab a paper towel. She took one, and, thinking she might need more, grabbed another. She kept rolling it but suddenly lost control and ended up on the ground covered in paper towels.

And extremely distressed.

It took several seconds for her to get her bearings, and realize that the white which obscured her vision was in fact coming from the paper towels which she was now wrapped in like a mummy. It took another several seconds for her to sigh, lean against a wall, close her eyes, and mutter low enough for no one else to hear, "Life sucks."

From somewhere in the room, she heard a low chuckling.

**A/N: Hello hello hello, my awesome readers! That was chapter twenty-one for ya :D. I hope you liked it! And now, of course, a tribute to the absolutely amazing people who have reviewed since the last update—k, I am the Wind Mizuki Kay, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, beautiful-surreal, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, inuyashakagome4eva, LunaP, xXthenextbookworkXx, and daichilover! You rock, guys. Reviews make me so happy, so please, review! :) Old reviewers, keep it up, and I welcome new reviewers and anonymous reviews! Everybody! I love you all! I want to try for nine reviews, so next chapter will be up in around four days give or take! See you soon! **


	22. Intangible

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm SO SORRY to anybody who thought the last chapter was flat at points! I wrote it when I was dead tired and having serious writers' block, and I know it wasn't very eventful and the part in the principal's office was kind of dull. So, I apologize! :( ! Anyway, on a brighter note, here's the next chapter! I hope it will be better. I'm sorry again to anyone who will be disappointed that there is not a death fight between Inuyasha and Koga… :P. I thought it would be a little redundant to have them start fighting again just a few chapters after they were beating each other up before. But here's chapter 22, read and review! I love you all! **

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: INTANGIBLE

"So, Kagome, what do you like best about Tokyo?"

I sighed, smiling a little. Koga was nice when he wanted to be, but like poor Hojo back in Okinawa, his affections could never be returned by me.

I smirked at him. "What do I hate would be an easier question," I said wryly.

Koga grinned. "Touché," he said, even though he'd never insulted me.

We were up on the roof of the school, with our feet hanging off the edge, and with Inuyasha sitting on my other side, visibly sulking.

Why were we here?

Cause I am weak.

Well, I have to give myself credit for stopping the death-fight which ten minutes ago I had thought was inevitable. It actually hadn't taken as much threats, flirting, or bribing as I had thought it would.

Although begging it had taken plenty of. Inuyasha especially seemed to like to see me squirm.

And, of course, I'd had to make a deal.

In essence, I had agreed to spend an indefinite amount of time—or as I prefer to call it, torture—on the roof with Koga and Inuyasha. Alone. With Koga. And Inuyasha.

Cutting class.

I'm not the kind of person who feels totally at ease while hanging out on the roof alone with two very strong guys who I barely know. Especially when I hate one of them, and the other flirts with me. So, yeah. Did I have a good scream built up? Absolutely. Am I completely paranoid?

Absolutely.

It wasn't like I really thought they would try to hurt me. But there's something in me that can't help but be paranoid; having your dad murdered when you're thirteen years old tends to change your perspective on life. But still, these guys didn't seem bad. Koga seemed pretty nice, maybe hot-headed, but still nice, and Inuyasha… well, he was a jerk. But just a jerk. I mean, Sango would never be friends with someone who was dangerous, right? So he had to have SOME redeeming qualities.

I thought about that. Redeeming qualities of Inuyasha….

I'd rather write an essay about the wonders of Tokyo.

"What's wrong with Tokyo?" Inuyasha asked, smirking.

I jumped at that, because it almost seemed like he could read my mind. No—of course. Koga and I had just been talking about Tokyo.

I turned to say something, probably something rude, but then I ended up laughing a little—those were the first words he had ever said to me, when we'd met on the street.

He cocked an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

I just rolled my eyes. For some reason I was in a good mood, and I wasn't in the mood to argue with him right now.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that we were fifty feet off the ground.

Nah, probably not.

INUYASHA

Inuyasha glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

Kagome was smiling. The sun was shining down on her face, her eyes were alight, and she was smiling.

_How cliché can you get, _he thought, annoyed, though at what he wasn't sure.

He looked away, wiping the image out of his mind: the way her hair sparkled, the way her smile lit up her face, making her look more innocent than he knew she really was….

_What the fuck am I thinking, _he swore. It had almost crossed his mind, for the briefest instant, that Kagome was… pretty.

Beautiful?

_Kagome? God, no. NO WAY. Ya hear me? Yeah. Definitely not._

"What's so funny?" he demanded, because he wanted Kagome to yell at him.

But both to his detriment and relief, she only rolled her eyes good-naturedly, not for a moment wavering in her unexplained happiness.

_Is she crazy or something?_

_ Keh. She's a chick. Enough said._

KAGOME

"So," I said when I began to wonder whether Inuyasha and Koga had any intention of getting off the roof at all, "Are you guys planning on going to class any time soon?"

"Keh. Playing the good girl," Inuyasha scoffed. "Have you ever had real fun in your life?"

"You have no manners," Koga said scathingly. "Kagome is so much more than just a good girl."

"Thanks, Koga," I said uncertainly; I wanted to be nice to him, but these days, even just _smiling _at someone can be considered flirting. So to avoid making a mistake, I did what came naturally: glared at Inuyasha. "Of course I've had _real fun_. But _my _definition of _real fun _isn't skipping class to hang out on the school roof doing nothing."

Koga grinned at me.

"Keh," Inuyasha growled. He really says that a lot. "So what _is _your idea of fun?"

Annoying the hell out of you, maybe?

It bothered me when I realized that that might be exactly _his _idea of fun: annoying the hell out of _me. _Did that make me… and him… _s-similar?_

I choked on my thoughts. If that's even possible.

To hide my sudden unease, I said, "I don't know, hanging out with friends, doing fun stuff together."

Koga gave me a broken-hearted look. "We don't count as friends?"

I smirked at him. "Sorry, but friends don't _blackmail _people into cutting class with them."

Inuyasha grinned at me. "We didn't blackmail you! It was a deal."

"Yeah, a deal implies _choice_. There wasn't much choice involved."

"So you're saying you've _never _cut class before?" Inuyasha and Koga asked together, seeming incredulous.

Was it a _hobby _of students in Tokyo to cut class?

Maybe they held competitions for it—how many minutes total you could cut before getting caught. Maybe they had records. Maybe they kept track of the list of the top ten. Maybe Inuyasha and Koga were numbers one and two. Maybe Sango, and Miroku, and Ayame, and Hakudoshi, and Bankotsu and everyone else were in on it too….

Maybe there's something in the air up here that makes my imagination go completely crazy.

But I have cut class. So, unsure why I felt like I needed to _defend _myself, I muttered, "Yes, I have cut class, for your information."

Inuyasha and Koga whistled.

"So, the truth comes out," Koga said, grinning.

Inuyasha glared at me. "I don't believe you," he said.

I shrugged. "That's not my problem."

"Why'd you cut?" Koga asked.

I glared at him. "And that's not your problem," I snapped.

My sudden hostility surprised all three of us. I hadn't thought I was still so touchy. Not while talking about _this _detail, at least…

But why did it surprise me? Of course I was touchy.

When it comes to healing, three years is nothing.

Koga and Inuyasha seemed to understand that this was something which hurt me to talk about, because they left it at that. The next fifteen minutes passed pretty much like this: Inuyasha and Koga argued over something trivial like the idiots they were, and I stared into the distance wondering when the aforementioned idiots would let me go to class.

Just as I was beginning to wonder whether I could jump off the roof without them noticing, the bickering boys turned to me and demanded, "Well? Whose side are you on?!"

If only I knew what the sides were.

"The side that lets me go back to class," I muttered.

"Second choice," Koga ordered.

I sighed. "What are you guys even arguing about? Why do you want me to have a say in this?"

"Keh, I don't give a fuck what you have to say," Inuyasha scorned.

"_He _may not, but I do," Koga assured me, smiling. He leaned closer to whisper, "We both know whatever he has to say is gonna be stupid, so why don't you just pick my side?"

I laughed, and then told him, "For your information, what you have to say might be stupid too, and seeing as you guys are holding me prisoner up here, I'm unlikely to pick _either _of your sides."

For some reason, as they both stared at me intently—despite Inuyasha's assurances that he did not in fact "give a fuck" what I had to say, his glare was very intent—I felt like they were asking me to choose between _them_, and not their "sides."

Right now, I was pretty pissed at both of them.

"Can't we just go?" I asked, sighing—not begging, mind you.

Koga grinned broadly. "Go where? A date in an expensive club? A flight through the forest in my arms?"

"Who says she'd want to fly through the forest in your stinking arms, wolf?"

"Shut up, mutt. So, Kagome—a stroll through the flowers? A moonlit swim in the ocean underneath the stars?"

I stared at him in a mixture of grudging amusement and incredulity. "I don't know about you, but I don't see any moons up there. Or an ocean."

Koga laughed. "See? You're too attracted to me to say no."

"Idiot," I muttered.

"And as for the ocean," Koga said, grinning, "Japan's an island. There are _lots _of oceans. So… would you like to come with me to see one?"

"What, now?" I scoffed.

He glared playfully. "Maybe on a weekend? Will you not even give me a chance?"

I sighed internally. Koga was nice… when he wasn't being an idiot. I might be able to be friends with him… if he could work on his temper with Inuyasha. But that was all we could ever be. Just friends. I didn't want to hurt him, I really hate hurting people's feelings, but I don't care for him in the way he wants me to.

Why can't he see that?

"It's a no, mangy wolf," Inuyasha said, smirking.

"Yeah? Why don't you ask her out, then?"

"Why the hell would I do that?"

"If you won't ask her out, then don't interfere."

"I'm not interfering."

"Sure seems like it."

"Fuck you!"

"If Kagome will."

Not cool.

"Out of line, Koga," I growled, smiling sweetly.

I _rule _at that.

"My apologies. You know I don't mean it to offend you. I said it for the mutt's benefit only."

"Don't use her in your filthy innuendos, wolf," Inuyasha growled.

Koga smirked at him. "Well, I'm fairly sure she'd rather be with _me_, a full wolf demon, than you, a _hanyou_."

"That's it you fu—"

"Stop it!" I said, holding up my hands to stop the boys from killing each other, and probably me in the process. "I don't care who's a demon and who's a half demon. I don't have anything against Inuyasha being a hanyou."

Inuyasha stopped shouting at Koga when he heard that, and turned to stare at me. The look in his eyes, beneath the obvious surprise… it was….

Before I could figure out exactly what was causing that glow in his widened golden eyes, Inuyasha caught himself and said, "Keh. I don't care what you think anyway."

He's an idiot. But despite what he said, his eyes still told me otherwise.

I rolled my eyes. "I don't hate you because you're a hanyou. I hate you because you're an idiotic, insensitive jerk."

Inuyasha just growled at me.

Had he really expected anything else?

"But then why do you hate me?" Koga demanded, feigning hurt. "I'm a gentleman to you."

"Yeah, to _me_. But sometimes… you can be short-tempered. No offense. And I don't exactly hate you… at least not really."

Koga glowed.

I sighed.

I have to learn to be meaner.

"Don't let that go to your head," I told him. "I'm really mad at you right now."

Koga smiled widely. "I can take that. Anger is temporary."

Apparently, tragically, Koga's affections are _not _temporary.

To be honest, when I had first met him I had thought for sure that his interest in me was just the usual: flirting with the new girl. That had to be it, cause I'm not that pretty. Once he realized that I didn't intend to flirt back, I had thought he would back off a little. "Just friends," is a tough message to drill into someone (god knows I would know), but even the stupidest people get it eventually. But Koga… who the hell would have known that a popular jock would have the commitment necessary to hang on to a crush for longer than twenty-five minutes?

Not me, for sure. I had to give Koga that.

I wish he'd went with the twenty-five minutes.

I rolled my eyes at him. "In some cases." Glancing at the ground, I asked, "Can we go now?"

Koga sighed. He looked into my eyes and said, "I _am _feeling a little guilty about keeping you up here."

About time _someone _felt guilty.

He turned to Inuyasha. "So, mutt-face, if you don't mind, I am going to walk Kagome back to class."

"The class is almost over," Inuyasha grunted. "How do you even know where she's going next? What are you, some kinda stalker?"

"No; I'd assume that _Kagome _knows where she is going."

Inuyasha grinned at me. "Feh. With that chick, you never know."

I glared at him. "Jerk."

The sooner I get away from Inuyasha, the sooner I can start recollecting my sanity. And believe me, it better be soon, cause _that _is gonna take awhile.

We began to head back to class after the bell rang to end fourth period. There goes all of English. There goes my life.

Compared to suspension, detention with Hosenki was beginning to seem tamer and tamer.

Koga and Inuyasha were already heading down the small stairwell leading inside the school from the roof. I set a foot inside the tiny space—and felt something right behind me.

It was as if I were paralyzed. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think. All I knew was that in that moment, there was me, and there was it, and we were together in the dark.

And there was nothing else.

Slowly I felt a numbness creeping into my fingertips, and that was what made me turn around.

"Kagome?"

I barely heard Koga's voice, calling my name in concern from somewhere far away.

"Wench, what's wrong with you?"

That was Inuyasha, just a little louder, maybe a little nearer… it was as if he were blocked by some kind of wall, and I could hear him, but just barely, an echo of his voice, resonating in my ears but not really getting through to my brain.

"Kagome?"

"What the hell are you staring at?"

It was that question which made me stop staring blindly into the air in front of me and come back to my body, here, on Earth, on the roof with Inuyasha and Koga. Hearing the question made me think of the real answer; and thinking of the real answer shocked me to the point of muteness. Because there was the answer, right in front of me.

Just the air, innocent and silent, rippling in the gentle breeze.

**A/N: And there you have it! Thanks to the following amazing people for reviewing: xXthenextbookwormXx, beautiful-surreal, inuyashakagome4eva, k, SuperHarryPotterNerd, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, bear lover, keiko-kun, and LunaP! Also, I understand many people want to see more Rin and Sesshomaru and Sango and Miroku. I have some ideas for Rin and Sesshomaru, but I still welcome all your ideas, but I'm not good at writing Sango and Miroku. Give me suggestions, please! For instance, ways to make them realize they like each other, or ways to make them tell each other they like each other—cause I know they kinda already know it, deep down. And also—this is the first time I'm writing a story with so much relationship and romance in the plot. So naturally, I'm not as experienced with the pacing—so guys, feel free to tell me if things are progressing too fast, or if you want them to progress faster! I don't want to wreck the characters by making their relationships move unrealistically quickly… but if I'm going slow and could go fast, tell me, please! :D Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter (or at least tolerated it :P) and please review—I'm hoping for eight or nine this time, or, of course, more! Next chapter will be up in four days, give or take! Bye-bye! :) **


	23. This Is Why I Hate Swords

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: This one's a long one! Read and Review! :D **

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: THIS IS WHY I HATE SWORDS

"Okay, everyone! Stand!"

Gym.

Combat training.

With Sango and Miroku.

And Inuyasha.

The second Inuyasha and I arrived to gym class, Sango and Miroku pestered us with questions about what had happened with the principal. It took awhile, but eventually it got across that Tsukino had given Inuyasha and Koga a lecture, and we had all gotten off the hook.

At least, I think that's what we described. I'm not totally sure, because at the time I was still too freaked and pissed to be able to say or think anything without interrupting it with an internal monologue of Inuyasha-directed curses.

There were about twenty people in our class, twelve humans and eight demons. I got a chance to take in some of the different appearances of the demonic students. Some, like Kagura, Inuyasha, a wolf demon, and some kind of demon I didn't recognize, resembled humans. But then there were a few who didn't, and I found myself entranced by their appearances. One looked like a giant forest coyote, another some kind of serpentine woman with three slit-like eyes. Then there was a female demon—well, I think she was a demon. She definitely wasn't human. She kind of shimmered… like a ghost? Body translucent, skin and hair a pale sky blue, she looked strange wearing ripped shorts and a t-shirt with a band logo on it.

I was begin to feel very, very, boring.

The only other people I knew by name were Kagura from Adult and Family Life, and Bankotsu. So far, to my relief, he hadn't so much as looked my way. Was it because my friends were there with me?

Was it because he was planning something?

The whole class was lined up on a red line which ran from one end of the gym to the other. Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha and I were near the end of the gym opposite the largest door. About fourteen people away from us were Bankotsu and a guy I didn't know, but who Sango told me was Jakotsu, and one of Bankotsu's friends.

I glanced at Jakotsu. "Sango?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"Is Jakotsu wearing makeup?"

It's not that I have anything against gay people, or transvestites, or anything like that. I just wanted to make sure that I knew Jakotsu's gender… cause it'd look pretty stupid if I walked up to him figuring he was a guy and it turned out he actually _was _a girl.

Sango smirked at me. "Yeah, I know. It's better not to question it." She grinned wider. "He's had a crush on Inuyasha for years."

I'm not even going to bother questioning _that_.

Inuyasha made an annoyed, "Keh," as expected of him.

"All right," Muso said once the class was lined up. "This year in physical education, the unit we will be focusing on for most of the year is self defense. Many of you may know it as combat training, or something similar. There are several subunits of this: weapons, demon-human fighting, demon-demon fighting, human-human fighting, and spiritual power.

"Everyone has their own particular area of weaponry which suits them best. Perhaps some of you already know yours. But for the first two weeks, give or take depending on how incompetent you are, we will be experimenting with different weapons to see which suit you best. Once you find your match, that is the field which you will be training in for the rest of the year."

This was beginning to sound very serious.

Muso began introducing us to some of the different kinds of weapons. There were swords, halberds, daggers and katanas, bows and arrows, staffs, boomerangs, ECs…

There were so many divisions of weapons, and so many _subdivisions _of divisions of weapons, that I began to feel like I was the kind of person who'd be dead before she could even think of what _breadth _of _sword _she wanted.

Surviving is beginning to seem like a heck of a lot of work.

I understand that a lot of you probably aren't privileged enough to be priestesses. So I'll explain to you briefly what an EC is: it's an energy channeling device, more appropriately a Demonic Energy Channeling Device. EC for short, cause it's much easier to say than DECD. Some demons have powers that they can focus into attacks by channeling their demonic energy through an EC. It makes it easier for them to control their abilities when they fight.

"All right. Anybody who knows their weapons type, step forward when I call it. Swords?" Muso called.

Three people stepped up: Inuyasha, Jakotsu, and a girl I didn't recognize.

"All right. Mr. Takahashi, Mr. Jakotsu, Ms. Mayu, go find your swords in the storage compartment."

Stupid Inuyasha. Of course, _he _would have his OWN DANG SWORD.

"Figures," I muttered.

Sango grinned at me. "What are you, jealous?"

"Over what? A sword? You've got to be kidding," I said. "Besides, me and swords… I just don't think we'd go well together."

The more I thought about it, the more I was sure that no matter what kind of sword I used, I would probably end up accidently chopping off my own head. For those of you who haven't learned the hard way, swords aren't meant for the woefully uncoordinated.

Then again, neither are any weapons, but I don't want to depress myself so much just yet.

Sango nodded thoughtfully, looking at me. "I wonder what you will like…?"

"Do you know your type?" I asked.

Sango nodded. "I'm a boomerang girl, all the way. I've got my own, though."

I nodded. "The Hiraikotsu is really cool."

Grinning, she said, "You don't need to tell me that."

"The Hiraikotsu is extremely cool," Miroku agreed slyly, "But it would be nothing without an amazing mistress."

Sango growled. "You just insulted the love of my life, Miroku. Touch my butt, and you'll cross the line."

I grinned, stifling laughter.

When Muso called halberds, Bankotsu was the only one to leave the room in search of his weapon. I don't have a clue what a halberd is… but it sounds kind of like a cross between mashed potatoes and a duck.

But something tells me that Bankotsu doesn't murder people with winged vegetables.

"Oi, wench, they called safety-swords! You gonna go get yours?"

I growled, my face going bright red as a few of my classmates snickered.

Just for the record, I do not use a safety sword. I do not use swords. Period. At all. And if I _were _to use a sword, it probably wouldn't be one meant for accident-prone elementary school children. At worst, maybe I would forget to take the sheath off—but that still doesn't mean I have to use a safety sword!

"Inuyasha, lay off a little," Sango told him, beginning to get fed up and, to my relief, not laughing.

But I shook my head at her. "It's okay, Sango. This is war. If he wants to use kindergarten tactics, let him."

She grinned at me. "Your choice, Kagome."

I smiled. "I know what I'm doing."

"I hope so," Miroku said. "Cause Inuyasha deserves to learn his lesson."

Oh, Miroku, he _will _learn his lesson. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not till next year. But I swear, he will learn.

I kind of hope it's soon, though.

Now I saw the sword Inuyasha was flaunting—very lamely, because it was large and awkward for him to carry. It was a pretty big one, impressive, but anything Inuyasha holds will always look pitiful to me.

Poor sword, stuck with a jerk like Inuyasha. I almost felt as bad for the piece of metal as I did for myself.

"I think you've got the wrong sword," I said, smirking. "Looks a little heavy for you."

"Keh. This thing's so light, I can barely hold on to it when I swing it," Inuyasha retorted.

"Sure, Inuyasha," Miroku said, rolling his eyes.

"Why do you guys always take her side?!" Inuyasha demanded.

Miroku smirked. "Because Kagome is a beautiful lady. And you are… well…."

Just when it looked like Inuyasha might end up taking his aggression problems out on Miroku rather than me, Sango said, "Inuyasha, you should be using _your _sword, not that thing."

Turning a deadly glare on the unfazed Sango, Inuyasha growled, "Mind your own business. It's NOT my sword."

Sango smirked. "Oh? I distinctly remember your dad giving it to you last year while saying, 'This is your sword, Inuyasha. Use it wisely, because I am watching… I will know if you disrespect me, and I will disown you and cast away all your inheritance to my more thoughtful, intelligent, emotionless son Sesshomaru…'"

"That's not his sword?" I asked in confusion.

No wonder he looked awkward with it.

Sango grinned. "Of course not. Can't you see how heavy it is for him?"

Miroku shook his head in lamentation. "Just like Inuyasha, biting off more than he can chew."

"I can CHEW a PRETTY DAMN LOT," Inuyasha snapped. "More than you can say for you and your _staff_."

"Why won't you use your own sword?" I asked. Unfortunately, I was too curious to remember to make the question sound like an insult.

Smirking, Sango said, "Because he doesn't know how to use it."

"I know how to use it! It's just a fucking piece of junk!" Inuyasha shouted.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't use vulgar language here, Inuyasha," Muso said unexpectedly. "And if you guys would like to listen, I can continue with the lesson."

Well. That was embarrassing. If we'd been _disrupting _his _lesson_ so much, he could've just said so.

I really think that these Tokyo teachers are out to get me.

Muso finished calling out the weapons. Sango went to grab her Hiraikotsu, which I learned she kept in a shed behind the gym while in school. Miroku had a staff, which, I learned quickly, Inuyasha never ceased to find amusing. There were two demons with ECs: Kagura, and the translucent-shimmery-blue-band-t-shirt-girl; a tiny girl with a katana who I was having trouble picturing as a tenth grader; and a big guy who claimed his specialty was in boomerangs, but I had a hunch that he really just wanted to be able to throw a big demon bone around and claim it was an accident when he hit people.

And then there were left eight other people who, like me, didn't have the remotest idea what their favorite way to kill people was.

I personally probably wouldn't be so direct as to walk up to someone—Inuyasha, for example—and run them through with a sword. I'm more of a, "poison his lunch and watch and cackle maniacally from afar" person.

Something tells me that this scenario is no longer in purely hypothetical terms.

Inuyasha had better watch his lunch.

"What do I do?" I asked Sango, fidgeting nervously. "I don't have a clue what my weapon is."

"It's okay," Sango said. She grinned. "Though a little weird for a shrine keeper."

"Shut up."

I sighed. I haven't had as much experience with being a priestess and all that as many people think I have. Because I'm a shrine keeper, or, more appropriately, am part of a _family _of shrine keepers, a lot of people automatically assume that I know how to do everything. But in reality, I've had very little experience with demons. We've always avoided towns where demons lived, but since my dad died, grandpa went into a kind of _all-demons-are-evil _frenzy. Makes me wonder exactly _how _my dad died.

Let me rephrase that. It makes me wonder _who killed _my dad.

We know he was murdered. We even have reason to believe that me and my brother were probably in the _house _at the time. But nobody remembers ANYTHING. My dad was a fighter. He was trained both in martial arts and in his spiritual power. Only a very, very strong demon could have killed him. And it had to have been a demon, because… well… if you had seen the body, it would be pretty clear to you, too.

I saw my father's corpse on the day he died. The image has been branded into my skull, and I don't think it will ever leave.

My father… the man who had held me when I was four years old, twirled me around in the air, and promised we would be together always… the man who nine years later lay broken in a bloody pile in his own bedroom….

I wish I could recount something I witnessed, something I heard on that day. I think it would make me feel better to talk about it. But I don't remember anything. On that day, my first memory is of walking up to his bedroom to ask if he could help me with my math homework. My last memory is of his eyes… glassy and staring at me, unseeing, still remembering the image of the bastard who killed him… because then I fainted.

It had taken several weeks for me to stop crying. But when I came to my senses, I had a new purpose.

There aren't many thirteen year old girls who get the opportunity to vow vengeance on her father's murder.

"Kagome?"

"Kagome, is something wrong?"

"What's wrong with you?"

"KAGOME!"

The haze faded from my eyes and I was standing in the gym again, with Miroku, Sango, and Inuyasha peering at me anxiously. Well, for Sango and Miroku it was anxiety. Inuyasha was just irritated. Though hidden in the recesses of his absurdly beautiful golden eyes, maybe there was just a hint of concern…?

Nah. Probably not. In any case, I hope not. If Inuyasha started showing signs of being capable of compassion, it'd probably scare me.

"I'm fine," I grumbled. "Back up, guys, or I might fall over."

They did so, Sango saying, "Are you okay? For a second it seemed like…"

She trailed off, looking to Miroku for help. I looked at him too, wondering what my face had looked like. When I'm remembering my father, I usually don't look too great.

Miroku smiled at me apologetically and said, "We were concerned. You looked very… ah…"

"Crazy? Evil? Depressed? Disturbed? Stupid?" Inuyasha offered.

I glared at him. "Shut it."

"Don't be too hard on him," Miroku chided, still smiling. "He was worried about you, that's all."

Inuyasha growled at him. "You… I wasn't worried."

Miroku raised an eyebrow in a very _Miroku _way. "Oh?"

"Well—I—keh."

Inuyasha turned haughtily away, trying and failing to preserve whatever dignity he had left.

I am liking Miroku more and more with every passing day.

Muso handed out weapons to those of us who hadn't yet gotten one. When he came to me, though, he stopped.

"You are Higurashi Kagome, right?" he asked.

I nodded, fidgeting a little. What would I get? A sword? I couldn't imagine myself with a sword. I'd probably chop my own arm off, and then my legs, and then the rest of my limbs and be left to bleed to death because NO ONE IN TOKYO WOULD HELP ME.

Plus if I get a sword, I might end up having to be partners with Inuyasha. Cause he has a sword, too.

And if he has a sword… and I have a sword… then we both have swords… then… that means… we have… something… in….

God. Anybody out there whose social life is so pitiful that they're stuck listening to my boring pleas. Please consider this… and DON'T YOU DARE MAKE ME USE A SWORD IN THIS CLASS, CAUSE I SWEAR I AM MORE THAN CAPABLE OF MAKING THE AFTERLIFE A HELL OF A PLACE!

Well, that's assuming it's not already hell.

"Why don't you try a sword?"

I hadn't expected anything else.

I watched in dread as Muso placed a slender sword in my numb hands. Say goodbye to hands. And feet.

"Um, Mr. Muso… I don't think that a sword is the best option for me."

Muso smiled encouragingly at me. "I know you're not very experienced in these kinds of things, but don't worry; everyone has a first time. You're not going to cut yourself up."

"No, sir, I—"

But Muso had already turned around and walked away.

"Afraid of a sword?" Inuyasha asked, giving me that smirk which made me _really _want to throw subtlety to the wind and run my sword through his chest.

"Of course not," I said stiffly, jerking my chin up. "I just don't want to be degraded to the point where I'm fighting the same way as _you_."

"Keh. You don't have to worry about that; _I'll _be the one fighting, and _you'll _be screwing up."

I hope for his sake that he sleeps with bulletproof pajamas.

"Yeah?" I challenged, gripping the sword fighter. "Fine. We'll see _who _I'll be screwing up very soon."

Inuyasha grinned. "A challenge, coming from a chick who feels guilty cutting class to hang out on the school roof?"

My cheeks went red as I felt Sango's and Miroku's questioning stares on my face. Stupid Inuyasha, making comments like that… it was bad enough that it had _happened, _let alone that my friends knew about it.

"That… has nothing to do… with anything…" I growled.

"Uh… Kagome? Why were you on the school roof?" Sango asked with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.

"Hmm… why do I have a feeling she wasn't _alone…?_" Miroku trailed off suggestively, eyes twinkling with humor.

Bulletproof pajamas, people. All of you.

"Nothing happened," I growled. "Inuyasha and Koga blackmailed me into going up on the roof. That's it."

"It wasn't blackmail, wench! It was a deal," Inuyasha protested. He grinned. "Sulking, maybe?"

"I'M NOT SULKING!"

"Whoa, careful," Sango said. "No offense, but unstable people shouldn't be trusted with pointy objects."

Somehow, the whole point of my _I DON'T WANT A FREAKING SWORD _speech must have been lost on her.

"Good," I growled. "Maybe I'll _sheath _it in Inuyasha's throat."

Inuyasha grinned widely. "Keh. Wanna try?"

Stupid. Jerk.

I smiled acidly. "I'd love to, but unlike you, _I _have a future and I'm not gonna risk it by getting myself thrown in jail for murder."

If I fail out of high school, don't go to college, and end up as a janitor in a WacDonald's somewhere… then we can talk.

"All right!" Muso said once he finished distributing the weapons. "First we're going to practice with the weapons a little. I want to know what weapons you beginners will be training in before we really start. Any archers? No? Okay, that makes it simple. Everyone get with a partner—try to find someone roughly on your skill level. It doesn't matter what weapons you have."

There was a tidal wave of motion as the class rushed around to find their friends. But to my horror, Sango did not step by my side… instead, she faced Miroku.

Traitor.

"Sorry, Kagome," she said guiltily.

I smiled brightly. "Nah, it's okay. I'll find someone who wouldn't choose a pervert over me, it's okay."

"Kagome!" she pleaded.

"Kagome, that's very unfair," Miroku said, feigning a wounded heart.

But I grinned. "Kidding, kidding. If you lovebirds want to be together, I'm not gonna interfere."

It had the desired effect, and I turned from the red-faced, furious best friends so I could scan the class and see if there was anyone who would be willing to be my partner.

"Us? Lovebirds? You're one to talk."

I turned around, raising an eyebrow. "What does that suggest, Sango?"

She grinned mischievously. "Well, you guys say that me and Miroku like each other cause he touches my butt and I slap him, right?"

She was right, in essence, so Inuyasha and I nodded. I'm not actually _so_ positive about that Sango-Miroku thing as everybody else. Yes, I think it's very possible and probable that they like each other—so it's about a 95% right now. But I've only known them for four days, and I've known plenty of people who argue and never get together. It's a cliché which, most of the time, isn't true. How could two people who despise each other end up falling in love? It doesn't make sense. It's completely false. COMPLETELY. FALSE. As in totally. 100%.

Then I remembered that Sango and Miroku are best friends and don't despise each other at all. Somewhere along the line, my internal monologue had strayed light-years from the point.

"So," Sango woke me from my thoughts, "Me and Miroku argue once in awhile, and you say it's because we like each other." She wrinkled her nose in disgust, but then she grinned. "So what does that make you two? In love?"

I think my jaw unhinged.

To my great surprise, Inuyasha didn't curse at her. "Keh!" he said, growling and folding his arms. "You've gotta be crazy, Sango. We hate each other cause we _do_."

"What?" I demanded, aggravated. "She doesn't get to be a _bitch? _You're not gonna insult her at _all?_"

It irked me. It really, really irked me. And the fact that it irked me irked me even more.

Inuyasha grinned. "Why would I insult Sango? I don't hate her."

"You jerk," I growled. "I guess I'm just that special, huh? That I'm the only one worthy of your hate?"

He grinned. "Keh. Who says I hate you?"

"Haven't we been here before?" I asked wearily.

Although that time was quite different from now….

He seemed to be thinking along the same lines, because a faint pink stained his cheeks for the briefest moment, and the teasing glint left his eyes. It quickly returned, though. "Yeah. I'm the one who says I hate you. But you should know by now, I say a heck of a lot of things and mean about a quarter of them."

"Then how do I know you're not lying now?"

He grinned. "You don't. That's why you can't walk away from me."

JERK.

The smile slid off my face. "Yeah?" I asked, voice like ice. "Watch me."

I turned away from him. I would call out to the class and ask if anyone wanted to be my partner… and hopefully… oh please, please… _somebody _would say yes.

It took me a moment to realize that Sango and Miroku had left us several minutes ago to battle it out in the upper right corner of the gym. Somehow, the fact that they were gone made me feel exposed.

"Hey, chick."

"My name isn't chick."

"If you keep answering to it, a lot of people are gonna _think _it is," he pointed out.

I turned to glare at him—and then I was struck with an idea. This could work. "Fine," I said, smirking. "From now on, I won't answer to anything except _Kagome_. So if you want me to so much as look at you again, you'd better learn how to pronounce my name."

I turned away from him and began to look for a partner… who to ask…?

Who did I know here again? Okay. Well, not really anybody except Bankotsu, who I certainly wasn't going to ask and who was… nowhere to be found.

Where was Bankotsu?

I frowned, glancing about the room. Jakotsu was standing idly against the wall, holding his sword above his head. It was a strange thing, made of many linked blades, which twisted and curved and bent like a whip when Jakotsu whipped it through the air. _This _was a sword which I definitely didn't want to have a run-in with. Jakotsu caught me looking, and grinned at me. To my relief, though, he didn't seem to be very interested in me. He quickly returned his attention to his sword, slicing the air near the gym ceiling.

Well, I wasn't asking Jakotsu to be my partner, that's for sure.

Who else could I ask? I didn't know anybody. I saw only two others who didn't have partners: both boys, one a demon and one a human. I quickly realized that the question wasn't which one seemed like he would be a kinder partner—it was which one would bother Inuyasha more.

What is wrong with me?

Let's see… the human? Inuyasha would just scoff and say we were stupid humans and belonged together. The demon? Well, it'd probably bother him, I'll say that. But I was intimidated to go up to the demon and ask to be partners. What if he said no? What if he laughed in my face? What if he hit me?! I knew this last part was a little unrealistic—the guy actually looked pretty nice, besides the scales and bright red eyes—but still. I worried. The guy was a pretty big guy… good looking in a weird way, but scary nonetheless. How could I just walk up and ask to be partners? …Could I?

Maybe I wouldn't have to.

I glanced at Inuyasha, who, I have discovered, has zero to no patience. Yes, I mean zero to no, before you ask. So… if maybe I just walked in the _direction _of the demon… he would object and make me turn around?

It was probably around now that I realized my whole purpose in doing this: I wanted Inuyasha to call me by my name.

WHY?!

He had no right to make me feel like this; but he still did. So I beat down my fear, and started toward the demon guy.

I can do this.

I can.

I…

"Hey!"

I smiled to myself. It was working, but it hadn't worked yet. He still had to call me Kagome. If he called me my name, I would turn around.

The question I began to ask myself was this: _why _did it work?

Why did Inuyasha care?

I had been spending the last four days asking myself why _I _cared. But now I realized I had missed a very important plot flaw in our whole predicament… Inuyasha.

Inuyasha has spent the last four days making my life miserable and saying he can't stand me and/or hates me. Honestly, I don't see the difference as long as it means he acts like an ass. But if he really felt that way… if he really thought I was dirt…

Why does he keep calling me?

"Chick, where the hell are you going?!"

My name is not "Chick."

"Wench!"

Nope. Not "Wench" either.

"Stupid, don't walk away from me!"

And last time I checked, it wasn't "Stupid."

I began to worry, though. What if Inuyasha was too proud? What if he still refused to call me by my name? What if… what if my ignoring him didn't bother him as much as I had thought…?

Having a gigantic sword thrust in my face effectively wiped all thoughts from my mind except maybe, _What the heck is this sword doing a millimeter away from my eyeball?_

"What the hell!" I yelped, jumping backwards and swinging my own sword up blindly in front of me—nearly succeeding in slicing off my nose.

Inuyasha grinned. "Don't go swinging that sword around if you're just gonna hurt yourself."

I backed away slowly from the _very _sharp-looking tip of the sword Inuyasha was poising for the kill. Have you ever been threatened with a sword by a guy you despise? Have you ever had the good fortune—or misfortune, depending on your point of view—to be _holding _a sword at this time?

I was beginning to hope Inuyasha would attack me. Cause then I could cut off his hand and make it look like self defense.

A girl can dream, right?

"You scared?" he taunted.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course not. What are you doing?"

"Sticking a sword in your face, stupid, what does it look like I'm doing?"

"I gathered that," I said dryly. "What I meant was, _why _are you doing what it looks like you're doing?"

Well, that stumped him.

His ears twitched in a way which, oddly enough, struck me as extremely adorable. No, what am I thinking?! He's not adorable. He's an idiot. Okay, maybe, a _tiny bit _good looking idiot, but still an idiot. No matter how cute his ears are, _he _is not cute. Nothing about him can be cute.

I sighed. I guess I'll have to chop off his ears instead of his hand.

I hope he's not too attached to them.

Finally Inuyasha said, "Keh. Just bugging you."

Rolling my eyes, I muttered, "Of course you are. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find a _real _partner."

I moved to step around him, but he blocked me. Of course. Dang it.

"What, I'm a _fake _partner?" he asked, grinning. "Stupid chick, you just don't want to lose."

"Uh, no. I just don't want to swordfight someone who gives me the urge to torture people."

To my horror, he grinned widely. I was just beginning to wonder if he was actually going to _tell _me what he was so cruelly gleeful about when he said, "So, I have that strong an affect on you, huh?"

I changed my mind. I hope he _DANG LOVES _his dog ears.

Grinding my teeth together, I said, "That's not a good thing, idiot."

"Keh. Chick."

I was getting tired of this. "You know, I'm sure _plenty _of other people would be able to say my name, which you seem to have trouble with. I don't need to put up with this."

He cocked his head to the side, dog ears twitching again. Maybe it was the genuine curiosity lurking behind the teasing in his eyes, but suddenly I felt the most incredible urge to do something which I had a feeling would probably be the last thing I ever did: _rub _Inuyasha's ears.

For the sake of my life and my sanity, those ears must go.

But then he said, "So why do you?" and all thoughts of _dis-earing _Inuyasha floated out of my head.

Why did I put up with him? For one thing, cause I have no choice. That made me think, though—_do _I have no choice? Am I really that helpless? Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there is a way to get Inuyasha off my back, but I'm choosing not to use it. Maybe… oh no… maybe a part of me doesn't want Inuyasha to go away?

Yeah. The emo part of me.

I wondered for a minute if there _was _an emo Kagome lurking somewhere inside me. Then I spent the next minute wondering which was more dangerous to my health: Inuyasha or cutting myself.

I decided that cutting myself would probably be worse.

But it took awhile.

"Japan to Freak."

I ground my teeth together. I was beginning to wonder if I'll soon be changing my mind about the health thing.

"Japan to Idiot, _you're _the freak," I growled, glaring at him.

He rolled his eyes. "Keh. Guess that's true."

I'll give him this: that response surprised me. I frowned. "Do you have a multiple-personality disorder or something? Cause that was at least twenty-five percent heartfelt."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "What do you care, anyway?"

It was aggressive and irritable, as always—but what surprised me was that the words genuinely seemed to hurt him.

I personally had no idea what he was talking about, so I said, "You lost me."

"Keh. Not surprising."

My eyes narrowed dangerously. "Look, either you tell me what the heck is wrong with you or you stop acting like you're blaming me for something I can't even remember doing. Why do you think you're a freak?"

"Why do _you _think I'm a freak?"

"I don't think you're a freak. I think you're a cocky idiot," I corrected him. "How can you be a freak? It seems like you're like the most popular kid in this school. All the girls like you, and so do the guys."

"Keh. The girls don't really like _me_. They think I'm hot, but none of them would ever treat me seriously," Inuyasha scoffed.

"Why the hell do you think that? Are you _blind? _Do you _see _the way those stupid girls in Family class fawn over you?"

Inuyasha grinned. "I don't know whether I notice it or not, but _you _sure seem to."

To my extreme horror, my face went bright red. "That's not the point! I only notice them cause they're annoying. You practically have a fan club, and you say that nobody would ever be in a serious relationship with you?"

Inuyasha looked at me with just a trace of seriousness in his eyes. "Stupid chick. I'd think you would know: a fan club is just a fan club. It doesn't mean any of them really _like _me. They think they do, but they don't. They could never."

You know those times when you feel completely freaking confused and you _hate _it? Yeah. Now is one of those times.

"Why?!" I nearly shouted.

He looked at me like I was the stupidest thing he'd seen for years, and was unsure whether to pity me, mock me, or laugh. But then he said something which, for some reason, I wasn't expecting.

"Cause I'm a half demon."

A lot of things clicked into place. And when this small puzzle was solved, I was left feeling something which made me wish I had _never _solved it.

Sympathy.

I don't think it ever really occurred to me before that Inuyasha's being a half demon was considered a kind of vulnerability. I had seen jerks like that guy in Adult and Family—who I now know is called Gatenmaru—tease him about it, and I knew Koga was always calling him a half breed, but never did I realize it was something that _many _people probably discriminated against him for. It was a prejudice… a sick prejudice.

Maybe that's why Inuyasha is such a jerk. Could it be because he had been forced to be that way, and didn't know how to be anything else?

"You bitch, screw the pity cause I've got better things to do than watch a stupid chick like _you _feel sorry for me."

I was right before.

Inuyasha is a jerk for one reason and one reason alone: cause he's a COMPLETE FREAKING ASSHOLE.

My hand curled in a fist. I felt my entire frame shaking. Only when tears stung my eyes did I realize exactly how much Inuyasha's words had hurt me.

To think I had been about to be _nice _to him.

I turned away from him, trying not to let him see my tears as they dripped down to my jaw. What's wrong with me?! I won't cry over this. You hear me? I. Won't. Cry. I. Am. Not. Going. To. Cry.

But I kept crying.

I think I have a problem.

**A/N: Hey everyone! Three cheers and more thanks to SuperHarryPotterNerd, xXthenextbookwormXx, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, I am the Wind Mizuki Kay, LunaP, Inuyasha&KagomeForEva!, AnimeRoxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, inuyashakagome4eva, and daichilover for reviewing! You guys are amazing, and I cherish your encouragement, critique, and ideas! I'm hoping to be able to write more Sango x Miroku or Rin x Sesshomaru soon, for all you guys who are begging me for it! But I need to get to a point where I can, first. So hang in there, and if you have any more inspiration or ideas, let me know! I hope you all liked this chapter! Please review and tell me :D. The more reviews I get… the sooner you find out what happens next! I'm going for nine reviews again :D. See ya soon! **


	24. All I'm Asking

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Here ya go! Sorry it took so long! Read and review, guys! :D **

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: ALL I'M ASKING

SEVERAL MINUTES AGO

INUYASHA

When Kagome began to walk away from him, Inuyasha found himself almost involuntarily calling after her.

"Hey!"

He heard his voice ring throughout the gym… he heard her footsteps echoing, echoing, echoing, each one like a taunting flick on the forehead. _Not a slap in the face, _he told himself. _It's not like she's really mad at me… yet. _

"Chick, where the hell are you going?!" Inuyasha shouted across the gym.

_Why is she walking away from me…? _

_ Oh, right. She hates me. Duh._

_ Not like I haven't given her reason to hate me, _Inuyasha admitted to himself. His own words, everything he had said to her, all the things he had done to her, flashed before his eyes. It seemed as if from the moment he had first seen her—even as far back as that day on the street when she had been just some girl he had thought he would never see again but wondered if for some reason he would—he had made it his job annoy the hell out of her. So it was no wonder that she found his very image repulsive.

For a moment Inuyasha wondered if he should just come clean. Call the girl by her name, make amends, forget that the first four days had ever happened. Inuyasha had a feeling that she would forgive him. All he had to do was call her by her name. Just one word could make everything okay….

But it was just too much fun to mess with her.

"Wench!" Inuyasha grinned as her steps grew into stomps. _It's so easy to work her up. _"Stupid, don't walk away from me!"

Something about the way she tossed her hair behind her… something about the way her scent hit him full on in the face… that did it.

Without thinking, Inuyasha jumped forward and swung his sword, stopping Kagome from taking another step.

_Now the fun begins._

"What the hell!" she squealed, jumping backwards and almost hitting herself in the face with her sword.

_Klutzy girl. _Inuyasha grinned. "Don't go swinging that sword around if you're just gonna hurt yourself."

Her eyes focused on the sword tip, inches away from her face.

"You scared?" he taunted.

She rolled her eyes in a very Kagome-like way. "Of course not. What are you doing?"

"Sticking a sword in your face, stupid, what does it look like I'm doing?"

_Is she really that dense?_

"I gathered that," she said, smirking dryly. "What I meant was, _why _are you doing what it looks like you're doing?"

Well, that stumped him.

_Why AM I doing this? _Inuyasha wondered.

**Idiot, you want her to be your partner.**

_WHAT?_

You're very slow, Inuyasha.

_You bastards… you're almost as bad as she is. _

**Look, if you hate her so much, why don't you prove it? Just walk away.**

_I don't fucking hate her!_

Silence.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. _Wait—wait, I'm just saying, I—look, I definitely don't like her! The annoying chick, she… I—_

Talking to yourself isn't healthy, you know.

Wanting to talk to anyone except his alter-egos, Inuyasha replied to Kagome, "Keh. Just bugging you."

"Of course you are," she muttered. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find a _real _partner."

Logically, Inuyasha should have let her go. But the way she said what she said… he couldn't.

He moved to thwart her escape, grinning widely. "What, I'm a _fake _partner? Stupid chick, you just don't want to lose."

"Uh, no. I just don't want to swordfight someone who gives me the urge to torture people."

_That's pretty strong, I'll give her that. So… I give her the urge to torture people…? Keh. Cool._

Inuyasha found himself growing more and more pleased with himself every passing second. His grin expanded, his eyes lit up with teasing light, and to his annoyance, he felt his dog ears twitch.

"So, I have that strong an affect on you, huh?"

It got the desired reaction.

Grinding her teeth together loud enough for Inuyasha to hear the sound, Kagome muttered, "That's not a good thing, idiot."

"Keh. Chick."

But suddenly, abruptly, she'd seemed to have had enough. "You know, I'm sure _plenty _of other people would be able to say my name, which you seem to have trouble with. I don't need to put up with this."

He cocked his head to the side, dog ears twitching again. _God, I hate it when they do that. _But suddenly he began to wonder… "So why do you?"

_Why DOES she put up with me?_

_Oh. Keh, yeah. Cause I don't give her a choice. _

But then why didn't he give her a choice? Why did he care so much that she stayed… so he could torment her? _Keh. That's it._

Kagome seemed just as deep in thought as he had been a moment ago. Losing his patience, Inuyasha teased, "Japan to Freak."

"Japan to Idiot, _you're _the freak," she growled.

He was the freak, huh?

She probably hadn't even meant it the way other people would mean it. She was fairly naïve in this regard. But still… the way she said it…

_I'm the freak. Yeah. _

It definitely sounded like that. No matter how she meant it.

_Whatever. It's the truth._

"Keh. Guess that's true."

Let her make of that what she could.

And she frowned. "Do you have a multiple-personality disorder or something? Cause that was at least twenty-five percent heartfelt."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "What do you care, anyway?"

_What the hell am I thinking? Of course she doesn't care. Why would she care? She's just another girl._

He glared at Kagome. _People shouldn't act like they care when they don't give a fuck._

"You lost me."

"Keh. Not surprising."

_Stupid chick._

Her eyes went narrow. "Look, either you tell me what the hell is wrong with you or you stop acting like you're blaming me for something I can't even remember doing. Why do you think you're a freak?"

"Why do _you _think I'm a freak?" Inuyasha retorted.

_Is she really this clueless…? But why would she fake it?_

"I don't think you're a freak." She didn't? "I think you're a cocky idiot." That was more like it. "How can you be a freak? It seems like you're like the most popular kid in this school. All the girls like you, and so do the guys."

_If only you knew._

"Keh." That was all he had meant to say. That was all he had _intended to say. _If he had said what he had thought he was going to say, it would have ended there, with an apathetic, _Keh._ But to Inuyasha's horror and chagrin, it didn't just end there. It kept coming. "The girls don't really like _me_. They think I'm hot, but none of them would ever treat me seriously."

_WHAT? Why the hell am I telling her this?!_

"Why the heck do you think that? Are you _blind? _Do you _see _the way those stupid girls in Family class fawn over you?"

_Are YOU blind?_

But Inuyasha grinned at Kagome's irritation. "I don't know whether I notice it or not, but _you _sure seem to."

And then something happened that, for some reason, made his day: Kagome blushed. Like, _really _blushed. As in tomato red. "That's not the point!" she stammered. "I only notice them cause they're annoying. You practically have a fan club, and you say that nobody would ever be in a serious relationship with you?"

Inuyasha sighed internally, both at the fact that he had to explain this and at the fact that he _was _explaining it. "Stupid chick. I'd think you would know: a fan club is just a fan club. It doesn't mean any of them really _like _me. They think they do, but they don't. They could never."

Her reaction surprised him.

"Why?!"

_Is she really as stupid as she's acting…? God, I hope not, it's not fun to drive people insane when they're already brainless…_

_ Why does she even bother asking? Keh, like I'll ever tell her. If she can't figure it out, why the fuck would I spell it out for her? Damn—_

"Cause I'm a half demon."

_What. The. FUCK._

Just like the words escaping from his mouth, Inuyasha felt the blood drain from his face. Had he really just said that?

Wow. I'm impressed. You're being pretty open with your feelings.

_It wasn't intentional!_

**Stupid boy. Why would you go say something like that?**

You don't know what you're talking about. He HAS to show her how he feels. That's what she wants, that's what he wants. It's the first step to him being a better person.

A better person? _Is that what my human wants me to be?_

_ Well, hell knows I don't do what that idiot tells me to do._

And then he caught the look on Kagome's face… and froze. Her eyes were soft; a small crease characterized her forehead as she looked up at him… she almost looked…

_Fuck this._

So he said something he regretted the instant it rattled off his tongue. "You bitch, screw the pity cause I've got better things to do than watch a stupid chick like _you _feel sorry for me."

_Oh fuck._

He really hadn't intended for the rebuttal to come out the way it did. But that didn't change what he had said. _I called her a bitch, _he realized almost in shock._ Not to mention completely insulted her, and hurt her feelings… just when it looked like she might not have hated me…_

Suddenly a strange scent wafted through the air. _What… what is that? It's… salty…_

_ Oh my fucking god, NO._

Inuyasha stared in horror at Kagome, who had turned away from him, and whose tears were now streaming down her face.

He had made her cry.

_Shit._

_ I'm sorry, Kagome._

He grabbed Kagome's shoulder, turning her around to face him. She didn't meet his eyes. Her shoulders slumped, her face turned downward. She didn't even say anything; the only thing she did was slightly push him away and try to turn.

"I…"

_What do I do?_

He felt terrible, and that only made things harder.

That's low, Inuyasha. 

_I…! I didn't… I didn't mean to! _

**Yeah. Tell her that. I'm sure it'll help a hell of a lot.**

There's no excuse. Not only did you call her a bitch, which you promised not to do, but she really was starting to feel sympathy for you and you went and blew it.

_Shut the fuck up! I never promised that, and she… she wasn't…_

You may not have said it in words, but the promise was there all the same. 

_I screwed up…_

**Good job. You figured it out.**

_Shut up! I need to make this right, I don't need you guys blabbering on in my FUCKING HEAD!_

And to his surprise, they were silent.

"I… hey, look at me, will ya?"

She looked at him. And unsurprisingly, her eyes were full of rage and hurt.

"Just… just, shut up, Inuyasha! I'm sick of this! To think that I… you disgust me."

The last three words were icy cold. _She may as well have said, "Go fuck yourself, Takahashi." _Inuyasha thought gloomily.

"Look, I… I didn't mean that. Really."

Kagome sighed. "I'm tired of this. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go to the bathroom and cry my eyes out, and when I come back… you're dead to me."

You're dead to me.

Her words echoed in his head, cutting through him like a knife to the chest.

_You're dead to me. _

_ Shit… sh-she doesn't mean that…_

He growled at himself. _What the fuck am I thinking? Of course she does. I've given her every reason to mean it. And I bet she means it with every fiber in her body._

_ God, what's wrong with me?_

The only person he could ever remember having feelings like this for… was… no. There was no one else. And the worst part was, he couldn't even tell what those feelings WERE.

_I hate her… I've got to, right? Of course I hate her. She's… she's… she's stupid and annoying, that's what she is. _

_ That's not all, though. And I know it. But what ELSE is she?_

_ I hate her… right? That's what I feel, right? _

_ But then why the hell do her tears bother me so much?_

Inuyasha shook his head to clear his thoughts. _Keh. That doesn't mean anything. I just don't like to see girls cry._

_ "So that's it? You're a coward who doesn't like to see girls cry?"_

Inuyasha winced, remembering Kagome's words.

_Is that really what I am? A coward?_

At the moment, he couldn't think of anything else.

Inuyasha stared at Kagome as she turned slowly and began walking away from him, face blank but eyes shining with hurt… glistening with tears. _No. I'm not gonna let her just walk away from me like this, _Inuyasha thought, snarling to himself.

It was nearly a reflex, what he did. And he wasn't sure whether he was grateful for it, or regretted it. And he wouldn't be able to decide for awhile after.

KAGOME

I turned away from him, preparing to run to the bathroom. I had meant what I said. When I come out of the bathroom, Inuyasha Takahashi will not exist.

I'm going to tell you exactly what I had planned for my life:

Wake up in the morning. Rush to school almost late, meet Sango and Miroku and completely ignore their other friend. Go to school, talk to Rin and Sango and Miroku. Maybe talk to Koga and Ayame. Be friendly to Hakudoshi. Avoid Bankotsu. Survive science class, and try not to let Naraku give me a heart attack.

And don't so much as look at Inuyasha.

I think that after a few weeks of this, I might be able to forget he even _does _exist.

But, of course, that jerk couldn't make it easy.

I froze when I felt a clawed hand on my shoulder, the talon-like claw of his thumb resting against my collarbone, which I doubted he even noticed. I expected him maybe to turn me around—or rather, _try _to turn me around, cause I intended to fight back with all my might.

I didn't expect him to push me forward, keeping his grip on my shoulder all the while; and I wasn't prepared to retaliate.

By the time I realized what was happening, Inuyasha had marched me out of the gym and into the hallway. Well, fine. This works for me. Closer to the bathroom now anyway.

But Inuyasha didn't release me. And for some reason, as we stood outside the door alone in the quiet hall, I was too tired to try to resist. Was it really worth the effort to shake his hand off, when he'd probably just force me to look at him again?

Is it really worth trying so hard to get him to leave me alone, when what I most want is for him to _not _leave me alone?

There it is. I admit it. I don't want Inuyasha to leave me alone, I don't want him to ignore me, I don't want him to pretend I don't exist! I don't want him _not _to exist. I just want… I want… I want him to be nice to me.

That's all I'm asking.

**A/N: Hello my amazing readers and reviewers! That was chapter 24, I hope you liked it! I got lots of reviews for the last chapter, I'm so happy, thank you so much! So, thanks to these awesome people for reviewing: beautiful-surreal, InuKag, I am the Wind Mizuki Kay, Amra Alic, adela, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, LunaP, xXthenextbookworkXx, k, kag/inu, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, and ForeverisGone13! Next update will be at four days give or take, I'm going for nine reviews or more again, thanks so much, and review! :D **


	25. Two Words I Never Thought You'd Say

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Here ya go! Don't get used to such quick updates, but I'm in a good mood and you guys gave me LOTS of reviews! So read and review, guys! :D **

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: TWO WORDS I NEVER THOUGHT YOU'D SAY

I was unsure whether I even wanted to look at him. It would be so easy, just to look at my feet and ignore him, and pretend he wasn't here, staring at the top of my head, pretend his hand wasn't grabbing my shoulder and holding me in place… pretend he didn't even exist, until finally he would give up and walk away. And that would be it… and I'd be alone to deal with the hurt.

But doing that… I knew it wouldn't be easy. It would be hard.

Because it was something I didn't want to do at all.

So instead of staring at my feet I met his eyes, straightening my shoulders, determined not to shed another tear until he was gone and out of sight.

But he didn't leave. Instead, he said the two simple words that had the power to shatter my composure.

"I'm sorry."

I stared at him blankly, hearing the words echo in my mind but not really understanding what they meant. Somehow, I knew that I knew what it meant, because I could feel my eyes widening and my body beginning to shake. But I wasn't ready to accept it yet.

He growled to himself, and then said, irritation blending into the guilt, "I said I'm sorry."

That was when it sunk in.

Inuyasha… apologized?

It must be a delusion. He hurt me enough to make me finally snap, and now I had lost my sanity. That was it. And this was all a hallucination… except it didn't feel like a hallucination… and I definitely didn't want it to be a hallucination.

"W-what?" I finally stuttered, completely, utterly, and pathetically losing my cool.

"Keh! Wench, don't make me say it again," he muttered, taking his hand off my shoulder and shifting his feet, looking at the floor.

"Uh… you don't have to," I finally managed, voice meek.

He glanced at me, eyes narrowed. "I didn't mean it," he said—and he wasn't talking about the apology. "Look. You annoy the hell out of me, but you're not a bitch. And I get that you were trying to understand me or something stupid like that, and I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Kay?"

Calm down, Kagome. It's bad enough he saw you crying. Now _stop _crying, and say something intelligent.

I raised an eyebrow, but the gesture must have looked half-hearted and weak. "Thanks," I said, the sarcasm muddled by the tremor in my voice.

I'm not sure what he noticed… the tremor or the sarcasm. Either way, it made him look at me again and say, "Sometimes I lose it. Well… you know that. I say stuff I don't mean when I'm pissed off. And I'm sorry. I took it out on you."

"You took _what _out on me?" I asked, confused.

"None of your business!"

An uncomfortable silence crept between us, until Inuyasha said gruffly, "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant… I… back there, you made me start telling you stuff I didn't mean to tell you. And it made me angry, cause I couldn't help it. So I took it out on you. So… sorry."

I don't know what it was… but something in his tone, at that moment, got to me. And I knew, at this moment, he was being completely sincere.

Something which, I'll be honest, I hadn't actually thought possible.

And he had proved me wrong; so I smiled: a bright, wide, real smile. "Thanks, Inuyasha."

Seeming as alarmed by my smile as he had been by my tears, Inuyasha hastily said, "Keh, this doesn't mean anything! W-wench."

Something about the way he said that made me laugh. "Of course it doesn't," I said, giggling and wondering what the heck was wrong with my brain. "Now come on. We should go back to class."

He stared at me blankly.

I raised an eyebrow. "Aren't we supposed to spar?"

His eyes widened, and then he looked away and growled, "Keh, who says I want to be partners with you?"

"You made it pretty clear back inside. But if you changed your mind, I'll just go find someone else," I said.

But neither of us moved—something which confused and concerned me, because several seconds ago I had been planning to march dramatically away from this idiot.

But no. For, contrary to my plan, I was now walking back into the gym—willingly—to be partners with the guy. Who, may I add, has not even called me by my name.

I may be pathetic … but I'm happy.

By the time all the drama had ended, we barely had any time to start sparring before leaving to change—which was probably good for me, because Inuyasha's evil grin was clearly radiating _I'm-gonna-make-this-hell-for-you-and-I'm-gonna-enjoy-it _vibes. So, when I escaped to the lockers with Sango, by no means was it with a heavy heart.

"You're going to explain. Now," Sango stated as we stripped down to our underwear.

I pulled my jeans up and my shirt over my head as fast as I could, saying innocently, "Explain what?"

She glared at me, rolling her eyes a little. "You know what."

I sighed. "There's nothing to explain. He was a jerk, I got upset, he felt guilty, he apologized, we reconciled. Was that really worth all—"

"WHAT?!"

Have any of you ever had the head of an overexcited teenage girl thrust millimeters away from your face? I don't think so. So if you're gonna make fun of me for being completely freaking terrified, you can shut it.

"Are you off your meds or something?" I asked warily.

Sango grinned. "No, are you?" She leaned backward, a little calmer, but her eyes were still shocked. "Look," she said. "Repeat that."

"Uh… are you off your meds?"

She stared at me like I was stupid. "Not _that_."

"Then what?"

"Use your good judgment."

I glared at her. "Okay. Inuyasha's a jerk?"

"Nope. After."

"Was it worth pestering me?"

"Before."

"We reconciled?"

"Considering both of your personalities, that's quite something in itself, but no, that's not it."

"Uh… I got upset? He felt guilty? He said sorry?"

"YES!"

"Remember your medication next time!" I squealed, jumping backward.

Sango laughed as she packed her gym clothes in her gym bag and swung her bag of books over her shoulder. "It's just very hard to remember."

"So… what was with the outburst?"

Sango looked at me seriously—a change which unnerved me to no end, and further reinforced my hypothesis that there is something in the Tokyo air which drives people stark raving mad. As we stepped out of the locker rooms and into the hallway, waiting for the bell to dismiss us, Sango said slowly, "Inuyasha apologized?"

I nodded. "Uh-huh. I was surprised too. I mean, he hates my guts as much as I hate his."

"No, it's not just that," Sango tried to explain, fidgeting slightly. She frowned at me and said, as if trying to explain to a small child why one plus two does not equal four, "Inuyasha… he… Inuyasha _doesn't _apologize. For _anything. _To _anyone_."

"Well, he apologized to me."

Not like it necessarily had to mean anything. Sure, at the time, it had seemed genuine. Sure, at the time, he had struggled with the words. Sure, the guilt had shone in his eyes…

But it's Inuyasha. I've known the guy for four days… and the impression I've gotten of him is not exactly a shining angel. For all I know, he could have faked the whole thing just to laugh at me with his friends behind my back.

But Sango continued stare at me. I began to wonder whether her muscles had stopped working.

Just when I was considering calling for a paramedic for my poor, immobilized friend, Sango spoke. "What did he say, exactly?" she asked hesitantly.

"Uh… 'I'm sorry,' I think. It was kind of hard to tell, what with the choking and stuff."

Sango skeptically raised an eyebrow. "He literally said those words? _I'm sorry?_"

I grinned at her. "Is there another meaning of _apologize?_"

"No need to get defensive. I'm just asking." She frowned.

"No need to be elusive. I'm just _dying _over here," I said, rolling my eyes. "What are you so worked up about?"

She shook her head rapidly, eyes wide. "You have no idea how big a thing this is, do you?"

Obviously not.

"I can't remember _ever _hearing Inuyasha apologize sincerely to _anyone_. He hates apologizing. Even if he feels guilty, he never admits it." She glanced at me. "You're either something very special… or else you're very scary when you're angry," she added with a grin.

Technically, it had been anger _and _tears, but I decided not to correct her on that one.

We arrived in Nazuna's Japanese Language class about two minutes before the bell rang. Rin was already there, sitting in her seat. But that wasn't what surprised me.

The instant I sat down next to her, I knew something was up.

"Hey, Rin?" I asked. Her brown eyes were hazy, as if she were far off. Although she was staring straight at the chalkboard, it was clear to anyone who had eyes that she wasn't actually seeing it.

Waving my hand experimentally in front of her face, I said, "Rin, you okay?"

In my experience, this look on Rin's face means one of two things: one, something absolutely amazing happened.

Two, something absolutely _awful _happened.

I prayed to god that it was the first one.

Seeming to realize that somebody's fingers were precariously perched in the air just inches from her eyelashes, Rin blinked. Her eyes followed the motion of my hand… until she realized what it was.

Rin grinned. "Some greeting," she said, pushing my hand away from her face. Like the responsible, caring, and mildly crazy sister that I am, I analyzed her smile. Whenever Rin's upset about something, or thinking about something, it _really _shows when she smiles. Cause normally, her eyes light up. If she's upset, her eyes look dead. If she's just _thinking… _they don't look dead, but it doesn't look normal either.

So did it reach her eyes?

"Rin, did something happen in chemistry?" I asked uncertainly.

"Are you okay?" Sango asked, frowning at her. She glanced at me. I shrugged, as clueless as she was.

Rin looked at us. It was as if she had just emerged from the clouds obscuring her brain. "Um… I think so?" she suggested, smiling hopefully.

Yep. Something happened.

My eyes narrowed. "Was somebody mean to you?" I asked dangerously.

Not that I have any power over scary seniors, but still. I'd like to think I could do _something _to whoever those jerks are who bothered her…

Maybe I'll sick Sango on them.

But now I was wondering whether anything _did _happen. Cause when you get right down to it, Rin didn't look upset. More… dazed? Surprised? Thoughtful? Irritated?

Though I have to say, it seems like a post-war daze to me.

Now I just need to figure out what the war was.

Rin sighed, glancing at Sango out of the corner of her eye. Seeing her glance, Sango offered ungrudgingly, "If you don't want me to listen, I'll move."

"No, no, you don't have to," Rin said, shaking her head. "I just… I don't know."

"We won't tell anyone," I promised her. "And you don't even have to talk about it if you don't want to. Just… tell me when you're ready, okay?"

Sango's face went dark. "Unless it's something serious. Then tell us now."

Rin smiled at us. "Thanks, guys. Look… I just…"

"Okay, class! Today, I've got a special assignment for you…"

Grimacing, the three of us turned to pretend to listen to Nazuna. Rin's confession would have to wait.

"Lunch time!" Rin said cheerfully, jumping from her seat and grabbing her stuff.

"You got everything?" I asked.

She nodded. "Of course. Come on, let's go."

I was in the middle—yes, I guess I'm that popular—with Rin on my right and Sango on my left.

"So, Rin," I said finally. "You want to talk about what happened?"

She was about to respond when, to my horror, I saw Ms. Koharu walking toward us from around the corner of the hallway.

Oh no.

"I don't want to die!" I cried, jumping back into the classroom and pulling a very confused Sango and Rin with me.

"Uh… Kagome? You okay?" Sango asked uncertainly. She raised an eyebrow at Rin, asking, "Does she tend to do this a lot?"

Rin grinned. "Nothing is typical when it comes to Kagome."

"Let's just wait till Koharu's gone," I hissed.

Not my fault. NOT MY FAULT. I was blackmailed by idiots, I swear!

I really hope that an argument like that will hold up in the student court once people find out I skipped. Because if it doesn't… and today comes back to bite me in the butt… then I swear, there will soon be one inuhanyou and one wolf demon less on this world.

Rin frowned at me in confusion. "Isn't Koharu the English teacher?"

Sango's eyes widened. "Oh. I see what this is about," she grinned at me.

One inuhanyou, one wolf demon, and one demon slayer less.

"Shut up," I muttered, cheeks going red.

Rin looked from me to Sango in confusion, eyes big.

I sighed. "I kind of got forced into cutting English today," I said, sighing. "After the incident with Koga and Inuyasha's fight."

"Oh!" To be honest, I was really surprised that it had taken Rin this long to remember what had happened to me. I wasn't sure whether I was offended or relieved… I guess whatever happened to her while I was gone was big. "How did that go?" she asked anxiously. "You're not in trouble, are you?"

I groaned. "Depends. Does sentenced to death count as trouble?"

Rin had to think a little before she decided that it was a joke. I don't blame her. I don't think they sentence students to death in Okinawa, but this place is foreign territory to both of us.

Finally Rin joked, "So, what kind of execution are you getting?"

I moaned loudly. "The worst!"

She stared at me apprehensively. Obviously, my pain was causing her to wonder whether I actually was joking. "Uh… what's 'the worst?'"

My hands curled into fists and I ground out, "Death. By. IDIOTS."

Rin burst out laughing.

Sango joined in quickly, and I was left to stand there and fume like the hot tempered girl I am. "Stop laughing," I growled. Unsurprisingly, they just laughed harder. "You wouldn't be so happy if it'd happened to you!"

"Yes," Sango admitted, "But it didn't happen to us. So, we think it's _hilarious_."

Rin straightened up, with some effort wiping the last remnants of a smile from her face. "I'm sorry, Kagome," she said guiltily. "I just… well… the way you said it was really funny." In response to my death glare—oh, I _love _doing those—she added hastily, "B-but I don't find it funny at all! Totally unfunny. Seriously. What kind of a sick person would find this funny? Oh, sorry, Sango."

And then she lost her grip on reality and just started giggling again.

One inuhanyou, one wolf demon, one demon slayer, and one way-too-cheerful-and-too-nice-for-her-own-good-giggly-teenage-girl less.

"So," Rin said when she finally calmed down, "The principal said you have to look after Inuyasha and Koga, didn't he?"

Rin is scary.

"Really?" Sango asked.

"I didn't tell you?" I asked, surprised.

She shook her head. "Nope." Smirking, she added, "I don't know whether to laugh or pity you."

"For your sake, it'd better be neither," I threatened.

Finally realizing that Rin was simply glowing, I turned and stared at her. "What are you so happy about?! You're not worried about me at all?" I pretended to be hurt.

"Well, I would be worried," she began, "For your sanity. But since you don't have that to begin with, you'll be fine!"

I glared at her, and predictably, she gave me the thumbs up. Sometimes, Rin's optimism can be painful.

"Enough about me," I grumbled. I checked the hallway—the coast was clear, and we headed out and made our way to the cafeteria. "What about you?" I asked. "You were all the way in Rin-world during Japanese class."

"Oh."

Sango and I turned to stare at Rin as we sat down at our table, taking our lunches out. Seeming to become very interested in her food, Rin glanced down to see what she had packed herself: onigiri, fruit juice, and two rice cakes.

"That's a lot of rice," Sango commented, twirling her lo mein delicately between her chopsticks.

"I like rice," Rin said, pouting and determinedly taking a bite out of the onigiri.

"Okay, okay," Sango said, grinning. "You don't have to massacre the rice balls to prove that to me."

"But on to more important things than rice," I said pointedly to an abashed Sango, "Rin, what happened?"

Rin sighed, putting the rice down. "Some kids were mean to me in chemistry."

I continued eating my food, trying not to let Rin see the fury—and surprise—in my eyes. The surprise was because I hadn't actually expected something bad, from Rin's behavior. The fury was—well, let's just say that I have recently added "some kids" to my To-Kill list.

"Who?" I asked nonchalantly.

Reading through me like she always did, Rin said warily, "You won't kill them or anything, will you?"

A sweet smile grew across my face. "Now, Rin, why would you think I would _ever _do something like that? Do I look like someone inclined to murder people I don't like?"

Rin smiled. "Do I have to answer that?"

"Nope!" I said cheerfully, while Sango laughed.

Rin sighed. "Just promise me, okay? That you won't go yell at them or anything?"

My eyes were sad as I looked at her—both because she had been hurt, and because _I _wasn't allowed to tell them off. "Is that what you want?" I asked. Always make sure.

It took her a second, but she nodded. "Yes," she said firmly.

"Okay." If it was what she wanted, fine. "Then I promise."

Rin smiled in relief. "Good," she breathed. "Cause they're seniors and they would hurt you."

"Sure," I said, smirking.

Her eyes widened. "Really, they would! Their names are Hiten and Abi, they're together, at least I think, and they're both strong demons."

"If they ever mess with you again, tell me, okay?" I asked. "If you need my help, you'd let me know, right? Promise?"

Rin nodded. "If I need your help. But…" she looked down, picking at her nails. "I don't think I will," she whispered.

Sango and I exchanged a glance. What did that mean?

"Rin?" I asked quietly. "What do you mean?"

"Um… I…"

Just when it looked like Rin might shrink so far into herself that she disappeared in her clothes, Inuyasha and Miroku rudely interrupted our conversation.

"You're out of your mind," Inuyasha muttered, sitting down with Miroku across from Rin and me.

"I'm just saying that—"

"This conversation ends. Now."

And a menacing glare from Inuyasha successfully put an end to it.

I couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about. Inuyasha definitely didn't seem welcome to Miroku's opinions or advice, whatever they happened to be. Well, of course he didn't. He's an egotistical, narrow-minded rich brat. Why _would _he listen to anyone else except his own, stupid voice?

Well… he _had _been nice to me at the end of gym class. In fact, he hadn't yet done anything to mar his earlier kindness… though I knew he would. But maybe… I could give him the opportunity to turn a new leaf? Maybe we _could _be friends…? Maybe…?

"Keh, what the hell are you staring at?"

Nice, Inuyasha.

"What are _you _staring at?" I retorted, all my previous irritation flaring up.

He grinned at me, flashing his tiny fangs. "Just something I can't stand."

He was QUOTING me.

I rolled my eyes, unable to think of a comeback and not in the mood to start a fight. I have a feeling that Inuyasha likes to annoy me because he likes seeing me get worked up. It's like dangling a worm in front of a fish… I'm the fish, and his words are the worm. So if I stop taking the bait… maybe, _maybe_… he would stop throwing it in my face.

I wasn't sure whether Sango was going to say anything about the whole apology thing to Inuyasha, but apparently she knew better because she didn't so much as mention it in passing. Or maybe it had nothing to do with consideration, and she just didn't think she had anything to gain from talking about it.

From our conversation during lunch, I was able to glean the following things: 1- not only does Miroku shamelessly grope Sango's butt, but he also flirts with any pretty girl who happens to get within groping range. 2- Sango HATES that. 3- Inuyasha, for some reason, has the decency to disapprove of Miroku's behavior. 4- That is REALLY frustrating, because I like to think of him as having no decency at all.

When Inuyasha shows his nice side—to other people—an uncomfortable feeling starts building up in my stomach. For some reason, it really makes me angry… and even a little upset. It's much easier to deal with his taunting when I think that he's like this to everyone and it's just his socially impaired nature. But then I see him reprimand Miroku, or stick up for Sango… sometimes even be nice to _Rin_… and I remember that he's not like this with everybody.

Just me.

My thoughts were interrupted when Miroku started flirting with a skinny brunette, got yelled at by an irate Sango, groped an irate Sango's butt, got _punched _by an irate Sango, fell into a hilariously annoyed Inuyasha's lap, and got pushed to the floor by the aforementioned hilariously annoyed hanyou. Rin found it very entertaining—although I'm sure our friends didn't—and despite my former brooding, I found myself laughing as well.

"So," Miroku said, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his face and smooth everything over as he so often did. He smiled at Rin and me. "When do we get to pay a visit to you lovely ladies' shrine, hmm?"

Immediately several thoughts ran through my head: one, why the heck does Inuyasha have to come to my house; two, why the heck does Inuyasha even _care _about seeing me hold the Orb of Night; and three, Miroku should stop constantly complimenting other women unless he wants Sango to beat his brains out of his skull.

Rin was right. As always. Those two definitely like each other… although it's hard to imagine them ever getting together when a typical day consists of what I described up _THERE_.

Rin shrugged. "Well, Kagome has her lesson with Kaede today so not today…"

"Plus detention," I muttered.

Rin grinned guiltily. "Yeah, that…"

"Speaking of your lesson, make sure to tell us how it goes, okay?" Sango told me.

"Of course," I promised her.

"Good, because I'm going to make sure you tell us _everything_."

Sango grinned, and Rin and I laughed.

Miroku smirked. "I'm still waiting for an answer," he reminded us.

"Oh!" Rin and I grinned guiltily, and then I said, "Well, I guess… I don't know—tomorrow or over the weekend?"

"I can't do tomorrow," Inuyasha announced.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why are you even coming? Don't bother pretending you _care _if I can hold the Orb of Night or not."

"Keh," Inuyasha grunted.

"He _is _interested," Sango told me.

Miroku gave Inuyasha a searching glance. "Although in _what_… is more difficult to say."

Sango met Miroku's eyes then, and both their eyes seemed to narrow simultaneously. They turned their gazes on Inuyasha, who glared.

"None of your business," he muttered, looking down at his food.

Rin frowned at me. I frowned back, and we both turned to Sango and Miroku… but they avoided my eyes.

This is getting really annoying.

"Uh… guys? I was kind of under the impression we were friends," I joked.

Sango raised her eyebrows. "Would you be _sitting _here if we weren't?"

"Then what's the need for the secrets?" I asked nonchalantly.

Grimacing, Sango said, "Ask Inuyasha."

Inuyasha stiffened. "You know what?" he said, grabbing his lunch and looking anywhere but at me. "I'm gonna go eat on the roof."

And he did.

I sighed. There it was again… that deliberate exclusion, that tone in his voice which clearly told me, _You don't belong here. _It bothers me more than I like… and as much as I try to tell myself it's just because he's a jerk, as much as I say it doesn't matter what he says… when he treats me like that, like an outsider, something inside me threatens to cry. I don't know which I prefer: when he's a jerk to me or when he tries to ignore me.

The uncertainty of it scares me.

"I don't know what his problem is," Rin murmured quietly, though with more sadness than anger.

"They do, clearly," I muttered back, glaring at Sango and Miroku.

Miroku sighed. "Inuyasha doesn't like discussing your abilities," he explained.

"My spiritual powers?"

He nodded, glad I'd caught on so quickly. "Exactly."

"It probably reminds him of…" Sango glanced hesitantly at Miroku, and they sighed together, "Kikyo."

Kikyo strikes again, huh?

I vaguely wondered to myself what kind of a person Kikyo had been. From what Sango and Miroku had said, she seems kind of removed. But it's hard for me to imagine _anyone_, even a stuck up too-smart-for-the-rest-of-you kind of girl, unfortunate enough to love Inuyasha.

**A/N: Well, that's chapter 25, guys! I really hope you liked it! Thanks for sticking with me, it means so much to me :). And… wow, did I get a lot of reviews today and yesterday (although I suspect some of them were from the same people :P). I love you guys, you're awesome, you rock, keep reading and reviewing, please! So here's to the people who reviewed—you're AMAZING, guys: Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, beautiful-surreal, mika, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, Adela, Lejla, Elma, Kelly, SuperHarryPotterNerd, LunaP, xXthenextbookwormXx, k, hihi123, and Tomatosoup inc! **

** Now, I understand that many people would like to see things moving a little faster. I'm not going to make it all unrealistic and speed it up a lot (unfortunately, even in fantasy we need to obey the laws of logic ), but if you want, I can try to combine chapters somewhat to make the days and weeks in the story pass by a little quicker! I know that having nine chapters for one school day is a little psychotic… it's one of my habits, and I'll try to work on it! :) **

** This is the first time that I've written a story which focuses so much on relationships and romance and that stuff, so guys, if you have comments about the pacing, whether it's too slow, too fast, or fine, or anything, please tell me, because I love your opinions and they are really helpful to me!**

** Don't expect another update tomorrow :P… but depending on how many reviews I get, next chapter will be up in four days give or take! I'm going for ten or eleven OR MORE this time! Believe me, more is perfectly fine, and thank you so much for reviewing! **


	26. How to Make Enemies Without Even Trying

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Here it is! Read and review! :D **

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: HOW TO MAKE ENEMIES WITHOUT EVEN TRYING

Adult and Family Living.

Each day, this class is either insanely infuriating or insanely frightening. One thing is consistent: it's always insane.

Based on things I've heard from kids in Okinawa, I've always expected Family class to be excruciatingly, torturously boring. But with the students and the teacher in this class… that's pretty much impossible.

First problem: Inuyasha.

Says it all, I know. But it doesn't stop there because Inuyasha's presence automatically makes Menomaru and Gatenmaru a problem as well. Over the four days I've gone to this school, I've been able to figure out that Inuyasha is one of the only if not the only half demon in this school. And there are those who hate him for it—enter Menomaru and Gatenmaru, who, I've learned, are even bigger jerks than Inuyasha can be.

Inuyasha doesn't exactly do anything to help his situation. At first I criticized him for it, but it's only taken four classes for me to figure out that the "cold shoulder" isn't an option here.

I really wish I could do something for him. But every time I try to step in and help him, he gets angry and yells at me. It's like he hates me even more for supporting him than he does normally.

Now, here's what makes the class bearable: Suikotsu.

Clever? Absolutely. Intelligent? Completely. Supportive? Surprisingly.

100% crazy?

Undoubtedly.

Here is what I would expect a typical excerpt from a typical day at the typical beginning of a typical family class to look like:

"Hi, Kagome."

"Hi, Mr. Suikotsu."

"How are you?"

"Good, thanks, Mr. Suikotsu. And you?"

"Fine, thank you. How is the project coming along?"

"Fine, Mr. Suikotsu."

"I hope you and Inuyasha are getting along."

"Splendidly, Mr. Suikotsu."

"That's good."

"Yes."

Now here is what _really _happened:

"Hi, Kagome," Mr. Suikotsu said as I passed his desk.

I stopped. "Hi, Mr. Suikotsu," I said. Glancing at my desk, I saw that Inuyasha was not yet at his desk. Stupid guy. Probably forgot about class entirely.

"Have you killed the baby yet?"

I grinned. "No, sorry to disappoint you. I guess you don't get to give people nice, clean F's a lot, huh?"

He grinned back. "You'd be surprised. I can see quite a healthy batch of F's in this class's future."

Great. Now I don't have to worry about getting a _sickly _failing grade.

"Hey, cheer up," he said, smiling at me. "A nice, fat F is better than a frail one."

"Uh-huh," I replied, smiling uncertainly back.

"And the same," he said, pausing dramatically, "Goes for babies. So if you're going to raise it at all, raise it right."

"Any tips?" I asked hopefully.

He smiled. "Ask Inuyasha. He's the father, not me." Seeing my grimace, he tacked on, "I really hope you two don't kill each other before the semester is over. Teachers get bombarded with paperwork when their projects cause student homicide."

Suikotsu is… different. But you know what? I respect that.

It's his other personality that scares me a little.

It's not that he radiates _I AM EVIL _vibes like Hakudoshi or Naraku. But whenever he's angry, or when he's disciplining someone… his voice gets this _edge_. It's when the "edge" creeps up that you know he means business.

I sat down in my seat. And as soon as Suikotsu went into the closet to get who knows what, the fun began.

"Speaking of Inuyasha," a sly voice breathed in my ear, "Where is your half breed boyfriend?"

I stiffened. "He's not my boyfriend and don't call him that."

"Call him what? Half breed? But that's what he is, isn't it?"

Menomaru's voice was like a tiny waterfall running down the wall of a dark cave. Yes, I know it's a weird analogy. But it's the only thing I can think of to describe the sense of immediate danger I felt when he was sitting in Inuyasha's seat… leaning toward me… his long, silvery-green hair brushing my desk….

"Leave me alone," I muttered, fists clenched.

_Please, leave me alone…._

"Why?"

"Why are you bothering me in the first place?" I spat out. "I don't know you, you don't know me. Let's keep it that way."

"Don't be like that," he said, smirking. "Come on. You're a pretty girl, why do you stick with the half breed?"

"Shut up," I muttered.

I didn't want to talk about this. Not with _him_.

"H-he'd be angry if you did anything," I lied.

Lied. It was a lie, wasn't it? Of course it is. Inuyasha doesn't care about what happens to me… but if that were true, why did he agree to be my partner…? He must care somewhat, right? Sure he can be a jerk, but… I'm beginning to think there might be a side to him that's a little better?

_"You know what? I'm gonna go eat on the roof."_

But that's a side he will never show me.

"Aww. What are you looking so sad about?"

"Leave me alone."

Blue aura, blue aura, come on… where was it?

Menomaru moved one of his hands onto my desk. Maybe I could stab it with a pencil… that might hurt him a little… right?

He can't hurt me here. Not in class. He wouldn't hurt me here…

"He's not here to protect you now," Menomaru hissed, grinning.

And he was right. And I knew it.

"He'd be mad…" I threatened.

"Maybe… maybe not… but either way, I can take him…"

"Don't touch me. I'll hurt you. I can," I hissed.

"You can't protect yourself from ME, priestess… and your half demon pal is hardly gonna help when he's not here to defend his bitch…"

What is WRONG with people here?

"I'm not…" I began. But then I wanted to laugh. Here I am being threatened by a demon guy who apparently is so scary that _not one _of my classmates will even dare to look at us, let alone help me, and I'm trying to explain to the guy that I'm not Inuyasha's girlfriend.

I need to set my priorities straight. Now.

"Stay away from me," I said, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice.

There are two red lines on his forehead which I didn't notice until now. Tattoos? Birthmarks? Signs of evil?

"Inuyasha can't help you," he whispered.

Would nobody help me? Was this really happening?

Around me, the few students who had already arrived in the room were chatting at their seats, almost as if… as if they didn't even _see _what was happening. The nearest student was a girl who, had I been sitting where Menomaru was, I would have been close enough to touch. Yet she didn't turn around. Nobody did, and I realized I was alone.

And then, for the first time since Menomaru had come to sit next to me, my eyes met someone else's.

And as I looked into Gatenmaru's tiny, dilated pupils, lost in a sea of white, it hit me that for all technical purposes I _was _alone.

The way he looked at me… the way he smiled… I realized he was watching, and he couldsee us, and he knew exactly what was happening… even if I didn't.

And then I knew that he was the only one who _could _see us.

"What is he doing?" I hissed through gritted teeth.

Menomaru smiled widely, revealing pointed teeth. "So, you figured it out, did you? Smarter than I expected." He tossed his head backward to look at Gatenmaru. "We'd better get going, then, if we want to do this."

Gatenmaru smirked, standing up. I felt a clawed hand on my forearm and I was hauled roughly to my feet.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"You'll see soon enough," Gatenmaru said, grabbing my other arm.

"Let go! Stop it, let go!"

"Put her under," Menomaru ordered.

Put me… under? Under what?

Gatenmaru sighed. "It's not fun to take prisoners when they don't struggle."

Blue auras, come on… I need you… where are you when I need you desperately?!

But there it was: just the slightest, _tiniest _tinge of blue floating around Menomaru and Gatenmaru… just the very slightest sign of a demonic aura…

It was enough. Or rather, it would have been if I'd been able to attack.

For at that moment my vision was obscured with whiteness.

It was like a sheet of snow had fallen in front of my eyes. Suddenly I was lost, stumbling alone in that colorless plain, unable to speak or hear anything at all, not even my own, desperate voice as I cried out to a merciless, nonexistent sky.

This was it… this was the end… they could do whatever they wanted to me, take me anywhere, even _kill _me… and I wouldn't know, because I couldn't see or feel it.

Maybe I was already dead, maybe they had killed me… could they have done worse?

I was lost. Lost, in mind, in body, and in soul. And then in the horizon… far out, so far it looked like a tiny speck… I saw someone.

Help me, I tried to call. My voice was lost in the white world. Help me, I tried again. Help me, help me, help, please… the figure was approaching… I could catch the barest hint of black-brown hair… of dark eyes… of a warm smile… a wave of the hand… of… of…

"Perhaps I'm misunderstanding you, but this is hardly an innocent position for you two to be caught in."

Of nothing.

The figure receded, the white vanished, and with a disorienting _SNAP _my vision slammed back into my brain. Never in my life had I been more relieved to see my teacher standing in front of me.

And then I realized exactly where I was.

I had planned for a dramatic, _Get OFF of me! _But that wasn't what happened. Instead, Menomaru and Gatenmaru released my arms with snake-like quickness, and I, with rock-like grace, sank to my knees on the floor.

The world was spinning. I was alive… I'm alive… I'm alive…?

How did Suikotsu see me?

I had been so certain that Gatenmaru was doing _something _to my classmates to make them oblivious of our confrontation. And then… with the white… was it the same? Did Gatenmaru do that to me?

Then how could Suikotsu see us?

I decided to think about that later rather than now as he helped me up. Hey, be grateful for what you have. And I had my life—which is definitely something to be grateful for.

"Thank you, sir," I managed, getting to my feet.

He smiled at me. "No problem, Miss Higurashi." But his voice was cold when he spoke to Menomaru and Gatenmaru, although the smile remained in place. "I have a… rather distinct feeling of déjà vu, boys. Am I right in thinking we've had this discussion before?"

They glanced at each other, and sneered at him—but didn't deny it.

Suikotsu smiled. "Good. Then let's not go over it again. I have better things to waste my time with."

And he left it at that. No punishment. No reprimand. Not even a simple, _Don't do it again._

But he didn't need to say any of that crap. The threat was still there.

"So," Sango said as she, Rin, and I stopped in front of Hosenki's room. "Ready to face judgment?"

"I don't want to die!" Rin squeaked.

"I don't think teachers are allowed to kill students, even here," I said—although whether I was convincing her or myself, I don't know.

"But that's just _kill_," Rin said worriedly, biting her nails. "That doesn't say anything about _maim_, or _torture_, does it?"

"Fine. He won't kill, maim, or torture us, then," I said, smiling brightly for Rin's benefit while my knees knocked together.

"Kagome, do you have some kind of muscular dystrophy problem?" Sango asked curiously.

"NO!"

Sango sighed. "Let's just get this over with. Worst case scenario, we walk home with diamonds sticking out of our bodies."

Helpful, Sango.

Rin looked like she was about ready to hyperventilate, so I told her, "Rin, I promise that you will not walk home with diamonds sticking out of your body. Okay?"

"H-how can you promise that?" she stuttered.

"Have you ever even had a detention before?" Sango asked suddenly.

"Um…" Rin glanced at me, eyes pleading, _HELP!_

"Yeah, she stayed after school once," I said.

Which was true.

Sango smirked. "But was it _detention?_"

This was just like the whole skipping school thing. It was as if not having gotten a detention in your whole life was a _shame _or something.

Which in Tokyo, it might be.

Rin sighed. "Not for me," she admitted. "Kagome got detention, so I had nothing better to do but hang out with her till it was over."

It took a few seconds for Sango to decide how to respond to that. And then she cracked up.

"I'm not sure which is more pathetic," she gasped.

"Hey!" Rin and I shouted.

She grinned. "Sorry, sorry. No offense, Rin."

I rolled my eyes. "Very sincere, Sango."

"I'm not an actress. I can't help that I don't feel sorry at all."

"I hope Hosenki impales you with adamants," I muttered, grabbing Sango's arm and shoving her through the door, dragging Rin in behind me.

We were laughing until we saw Hosenki staring at us.

That shut us up real quick.

"So… scary as you thought it would be?"

"You were scared stiff too, let me remind you."

As me, Sango, and Rin headed out of the school building, I felt freer than I ever would have imagined feeling after detention. But hey—it was detention with _Hosenki_, who was freaking MADE of adamants, and I had walked away 100% unscathed.

I think that's a reason to feel high.

"You want to hang out today?" Sango asked us.

I shook my head. "I've got to go to Kaede's," I said apologetically. "And then I've got a mountain of homework to do."

Sango grimaced. "I guess you're right… I was hoping I could put mine off. You just have to set a good example, don't you?"

Grinning, I said, "You'd be surprised."

"So, what about you, Rin?" Sango asked. "You can't spare a few seconds to help a poor, overburdened teenager procrastinate?"

Rin giggled. "No, not today."

"Well," Sango said, "I guess this is good-bye for today, then. Text me when you finish your lesson!"

"Sure," I promised. "See you later."

"Wait—you want a ride?" she asked suddenly.

"You have a car?" I asked in surprise.

Figures. _So _figures.

Sango laughed as if it were the most normal thing in the world for a sixteen year old to own a new, shiny car of their own. "Well… yeah," she finally said. Obviously beginning to worry that our eyes might explode out of our heads, she said quickly, "It's an Acura, not a twenty-cubic-foot diamond."

An Acura.

Sango frowned. "Um… did you guys go mute?"

I had planned to say something along the lines of, "Thanks-for-the-offer-but-we're-stubborn-pedestrians-and-we're-gonna-stay-that-way-and-we're-sure-as-heck-not-gonna-ride-in-any-sixty-thousand-dollar-hunk-of-Tokyo-metal." But Rin's squealing beat my hardheaded anti-Tokyo speech.

"Oh my gosh!" she squealed. "Can we see your car? Please?"

Sango laughed. "Of course, Rin." She grinned at me. "Coming, Kagome? Cause we can leave you here if you want… maybe I'll call Inuyasha, and see if he'll give you a ride…"

I don't know where that last part came from, seeing as Inuyasha probably _would _show up… and then run me over with his car.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," I said, pretending to be more annoyed than I really was. It wasn't like I would abandon Rin. I'm not that kind of person. And besides—we were getting a ride from _Sango_. Sango is our _friend_. She isn't a jerk like Inuyasha, or scary like countless other people I've met since arriving in Tokyo-the-Hellhole.

So, technically, riding in her soft, comfy seats in her sleek, silver Acura shouldn't bother me, right?

It may be Sango's. It may be comfy.

But it's still a sixty thousand dollar hunk of Tokyo metal.

"You'd think I was forcing you to walk around in a Cinderella dress or something," Sango laughed, clearly enjoying my agonized expression.

"Don't let them see me!" I moaned, ducking my head.

I've never been so degraded. I swear.

"Despite what my sister says," Rin said to Sango, "This is an awesome car."

Sango grinned. "Thank you, Rin." By the time her eyes reached mine, the grin was a glare. "And Kagome—_that _is the way you're supposed to talk to someone who is saving you forty minutes of walking."

I couldn't help but laugh at that.

"So… where am I dropping you off again?" Sango asked.

"Me, at this address." I relayed the address of Kaede's home to Sango. "And Rin, at home. Right?"

Rin nodded in confirmation.

We stopped at our house first. Rin got out of the car, waved, and jogged up to the house. Just as we were about to leave, however, she turned around.

"Oh, Kagome!" she shouted as if she'd just remembered something. "Sorry, I forgot to ask you about it! But when you get home, we'll talk about whatever happened, okay?"

And with a cheery smile, my almost-mind-reader of a sister opened the door and disappeared into our house-on-steroids. My last thought before we drove away was to wonder if our house was so huge because it had a nasty habit of devouring its tenants.

I wouldn't be surprised if houses in Tokyo are carnivorous.

I had almost succeeded in completely forgetting Rin's tendency to see right through me and talk about it as if it were nothing unusual when Sango said, "What did she mean?"

"Oh." I frowned. What _had _she meant? I had never even hinted towards preoccupation… had I? I had never given Rin the slightest reason to think that something rather odd might have happened in Adult and Family Living….

Had I?

"Kagome?"

I sighed. "It's Rin. She's a mind reader; what can I say?"

Sango grinned wryly. "Either your sister has superpowers, or _you're _just really easy to read."

I glared at her. "Don't push your luck. You've already got me riding in a dang Acura in public."

"What do you have against my car?" Sango asked indignantly—but then she smirked. "Oh. No, never mind."

I grinned at her. "You know the answer to that."

"Which is why I said never mind."

We rode in silence for a minute until Sango said, "So… what did happen?"

I sighed. "I'm not completely sure. I think that I was… um… threatened," for lack of a better word, "During Family class."

Sango stared at me like I was speaking gibberish. And I have to admit that most people would probably _know _if they were being threatened, and not have to think much about it. "You… _think_?"

"Yes, I think," I repeated stubbornly. "I don't really get it."

"By who?"

"Uh…" I glanced warily at Sango, waiting in apprehension for her reaction. "Menomaru and Gatenmaru."

She nearly choked, and suddenly I feared for my life, her life, and the life of her beloved luxury car.

"I knew I should've walked," I grumbled.

"I'm not going to crash the car," Sango finally said. The effort it took her to calm herself scared me, I'll admit it. Why did I have a feeling I was in a worse situation than I had previously thought? "Just tell me what happened."

I don't like that tone at all.

"Well," I said slowly, "It was the beginning of class. Suikotsu and I talked a little bit, and then I went to my seat. Suikotsu went to get something from somewhere—anyway, he wasn't in the room. And then… Menomaru… Menomaru was the first one to come. He sat next to me, in Inuyasha's seat—cause Inuyasha wasn't there, he didn't show up to class at all. And he was bothering me, so I told him to leave me alone. And nobody in the class noticed, and I got scared, and then the next thing I knew he and Gatenmaru had grabbed me and they were taking me somewhere, but I don't know where, and then… everything went white. It was like… I don't know. I felt nothing. And then…" I had seen the figure. But did I want to tell that to Sango?

I don't know what possessed me to retain that piece of information, but I skipped over it, continuing. "Suikotsu came. And he could see us—and I swear, nobody else could. Nobody saw what was going on except him. And he stopped it."

Whatever _it _was.

Sango watched me very carefully… and I began to feel like rather than wondering what it had been like for me, she was wondering what kind of flowers would be best at my funeral.

"Okay," she said slowly.

"Okay as in, _Okay, this is fine, _or okay as in, _Okay, you're completely doomed?_" I asked.

She didn't crack a smile. "Okay as in, _Okay, there are some things you should know before we figure this out._"

Oh. That kind of "okay."

It didn't sound good at all.

"So. Like I said, if that's true, there are some things you've got to know about Menomaru and Gatenmaru."

I nodded. "I'm all ears."

"Good. First: they're in a gang."

"_What?_"

"They're in a gang," Sango repeated. "Have you ever heard of _Darkest?_"

I shook my head. "No."

To be honest, it sounded like the title of a romance-horror book I had read a year or two ago. It was about a girl who moved from the city to a rural town, and started having these weird dreams where this guy came to her. She met a guy in school, and she felt like she knew him… and then eventually she realized they were one and the same. She ends up falling for the guy like the idiot she is and gets sucked into this big black hole of doom and blood and betrayal and drama and yes, there is a point to this story: she ends up going psycho and killing herself.

Not the most pleasant of books.

Completely unaware of my rather ironic memory, Sango said, "Have you ever heard of _Spider Blood?_"

THAT I have heard of.

"Of course," I said, dumbfounded that she would even have to ask. The infamous gang calling itself Spider Blood had been making headlines for years.

"Well," Sango said, "There a lot of people who think that Darkest is a subdivision of Spider Blood."

That was all it took to make my muscles freeze.

I hope they're wrong. I hope they're really, really, wrong. I hope they're so wrong they end up going crazy and jumping into a black magic circle at the wrong time like that girl in that book.

Well, maybe not something that drastic. I just hope they're not right.

Because if I am being targeted by Menomaru and Gatenmaru… and Menomaru and Gatenmaru are part of Darkest… and Darkest is a subdivision of Spider Blood…

Then I am in a heck of a lot of trouble.

"Sango…!"

It was all I could say. And it was a squeak.

"Calm down, Kagome," Sango said nervously. "Look, we'll figure this out. Just try your best to avoid Menomaru and Gatenmaru…" suddenly she gasped. "My god. Bankotsu."

"Is he in it too?" I asked warily.

"The proof isn't as solid for him as Menomaru and Gatenmaru," she said. "But a lot of people think he's involved in it. Look, point is: avoid all of them, or anybody else you see friendly with them. I don't know why Spider Blood or Darkest would make you an enemy, but the why isn't important." She frowned, and then whipped out her cell phone and began texting furiously. "We can't involve the police in this cause there isn't any proof—"

"Obviously," I muttered, fidgeting with my fingers.

She glared at me in an _I'm-trying-to-save-your-butt-don't-interrupt-me _way, and then continued, "But I'll tell Miroku and Inuyasha now. Don't worry—between the three of us, we can protect you."

She… she was going to… to… to tell…

Inuyasha.

And she wanted me _not _to worry?!

As I choked on my words and tried to find the best way to respond to this, Sango continued, "If it gets worse tell me, and I'll let my dad know—he's the leader of the demon slayers in Tokyo, and he'll be able to—"

"Are you crazy?!" I nearly yelled.

"What?!"

When Sango slammed the breaks down on the car, when her face finally lost its cool and her eyes shone with fear… this was when it finally occurred to me that what I had told her bothered her more than her composure had suggested.

Both of us breathing hard, we sat in silence, not daring to speak.

I broke it first. "I…"

"It's fine," Sango said quickly. "I'm sorry. I just…"

"No, I'm sorry. I—"

She smirked. "Something tells me this is about Inuyasha, isn't it?"

Well when you put it like that, it sure makes me seem stupid.

"I…" I trailed off. After all, how the heck could I defend myself? We were sitting in Sango's car discussion gangs, and _I'm _freaking out about Sango recruiting Inuyasha for help.

I really had nothing to fear. I mean, he wouldn't help me. Sure, maybe he apologized to me, maybe he's been nice to me once in awhile… maybe I wanted to believe that he cared… but he's definitely a jerk more often, and he probably doesn't even like me. He makes it very clear that, whatever his personal feelings for me, I don't belong in his "group." So why would he care whether I was brutally murdered by violent, rampaging gangs from this violent, stupid city?

"Inuyasha's strong," Sango said. "And he doesn't hate you as much as acts sometimes. I'm not sure how he feels about you yet, but he definitely wouldn't want you to get hurt."

I sighed. "You might be right," I muttered. "But how do you know he's not in the gang himself?"

Sango glared at me. "He's my best friend besides Miroku. I think I would know."

"There's no way to tell," I muttered.

Sango sighed. "I know you and Inuyasha have a bit of a…"

"Feud? War? Problem?"

"I was thinking love-hate relationship," she teased, "But yeah, sure, any of those. But still… he can help you."

"And Miroku? Can he help me?"

Sango nodded. "He has spiritual power. Not quite as much as you, but still… he can do sutras and stuff."

"You and Miroku are enough," I muttered. "Inuyasha doesn't need to be involved…"

"Chances are, when Inuyasha hears about this, he'll get himself involved anyway," Sango said.

I frowned. "Why would he do that?"

She grinned. "For one thing, cause me and Miroku are in on it and he wouldn't want to miss the action." I scowled. "And for another," she continued, grin fading, "Because he wouldn't want you to get hurt."

I sighed. "Look. Maybe he would care, maybe he wouldn't, but… just don't tell him now, all right?"

"Too late!" Sango said cheerfully, snapping the phone shut.

"WHAT?!"

"We're here, you know," she said suddenly.

Huh? "Where?"

Oh. So we _were _here.

I glared at her. "That wasn't nice, Sango."

"Maybe not, but it was necessary. Now you go to your lesson, and I'm gonna go find Miroku and Inuyasha and talk to them."

I grinned. "Well, I'm glad to hear you're not giving me a bodyguard."

"Yet," Sango threatened. She smiled. "Don't worry; you should be pretty safe here. But if something happens… don't hesitate to tell us, okay?"

"Sure," I promised.

"Good. Well…" she glanced out the door, and then back to me and admitted, "I'm not sure whether I should say have fun or good luck."

Laughing, I said, "Either works. I'll see you later. Maybe I'll call and tell you about it."

"You'd better. See you."

"Bye. Thanks for the ride!"

But Sango had already left.

**A/N: Well, that's that. Sorry that there wasn't much InuKag or RinSess or anything in this one, but this chapter was necessary to advance the side plot… which eventually, you will learn more about! And it was originally two chapters, but I combined them, so you should be a little grateful even though nothing much happened. Anyway, I hope you liked it, read and review! Now I've got some news: I'm going on vacation on Thursday, and won't be able to update for about a week and a half, so on Wednesday I'm gonna give you extra chapters! That should tide you guys over till I get back... assuming the plane doesn't crash somewhere and I die and/or get lost, in which case the delay might be a little longer than planned XD. Anyway, please review each chapter like you would normally, I'd really appreciate that! Yayyy more reviews! And thanks so much to you guys who reviewed, I read your comments and I'm gonna try to make the pacing go a little faster: k, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, I am the Wind Mizuki Kay, xXthenextbookwormXx, beautiful-surreal, Tomatosoup inc., ILoveInuyasha4Eva, ai, SuperHarryPotterNerd, inosuki, and daichilover! You're absolutely AMAZING, guys! You and the rest of my readers, too! So please, everyone, review (I'm hoping for ten or more again :D) and you'll have something to look forward to on Wednesday! XD See ya then! **


	27. Warning

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Here it is! Read and review before you read 28, please! :D **

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: WARNING

I turned to the apartment building which was Kaede's home, unsure why I was so nervous. This woman was my teacher. I was here for a lesson, not a test. So why were my hands mangling the hem of my shirt?

Sighing, I decided I couldn't put it off any longer.

In the elevator, I resolved to turn my fear into excitement. For god's sake, I'm learning how to control my spiritual power! If I can learn to control my power… then I can protect my family. I can protect myself, my friends, everyone. Never again will I have to worry about a demon. Never again will I have to be helpless against Yura, or Menomaru, or Gatenmaru, or anybody else who tried to hurt me… I will be invincible.

Invincible Priestess Kagome: I kind of liked it.

Invincible Priestess Kagome, slayer of the infamous and feared Evil Inuhanyou Inuyasha.

Now _that _I could get used to.

I hope I wasn't grinning too widely when Kaede opened the door to her apartment, cause to me, it felt like my face was about to split apart. But after I got over the initial worry about what my face looked like… I realized I hadn't even rang her doorbell.

"Oh… I… how did you know I was here?" I finally asked, surprised. Hastily I added, "Kaede-sama."

_Oh… I… _could I have made myself sound stupider? Really?

If only Inuyasha were here. I have a feeling he would have a field day watching my lesson.

Well, too bad for him.

But Kaede smiled. "I'm glad to see ye found the apartment all right. Come in, child. I've been waiting for ye."

Her gentle, rusty voice soothed me a little, and I found the bravery to step into her apartment. The traditional style, somehow, didn't surprise me much. It suited Kaede.

"You have a real futon," I said in surprise, looking at the thin mat which lay on the floor in her bedroom, partially concealed by pretty Shoji screens.

Kaede, amused, said, "Yes, I do."

I blushed a little. "Sorry, Kaede-sama," I said. "I'm just surprised. It looks nice."

I didn't know why I was being so stiff. It was like I was worried if I said too much, she would criticize me, or send me home, saying I was a pathetic excuse for a priestess who would never become Invincible Priestess Kagome, slayer of the infamous and feared Evil Inuhanyou Inuyasha.

That's an annoyingly long name, isn't it?

Kaede laughed. "Be at ease, Kagome. May I call ye by your first name?"

"Yes, of course."

She raised an eyebrow. "Ye don't look very relaxed to me."

That's cause I'm not. At all.

"Sorry," was all I could say.

"Why don't ye sit down," Kaede suggested. She took off her shoes, putting them on the rice mats. I did the same. Gesturing to a pillow beside a small oriental coffee table, she said, "Make yerself at home. Would ye like some tea?"

I smiled at her. "Yes, please, thank you. Do you want me to help?"

"Oh no, it's fine, child. Rest, and I'll be in with the tea in a second."

I smiled, sitting down on the pillow.

I used the time to admire my surroundings. There were a few statues, several small, potted trees, and, of course, the oriental Japanese furniture. This fashion had died out in many places, but apparently it lived on in Kaede.

Kaede sat on the pillow on the other side of the table, placing two cups of tea in front of us. I thanked her and took a delicate sip—it's always good to make people think you have manners.

"So, Kagome, how are you?"

The tea was beginning to soothe my muscles and I relaxed, feeling my neck unknot. "Pretty good, and you?"

"I'm very excited for ye to be my pupil," she said, putting her tea cup down and giving me a smile and a wink.

Is there a way for people to test you by winking at you?

After spending several minutes trying to figure out how Kaede could endeavor to trap me by being friendly, I realized that I was being excessively paranoid. But, hey. If Tokyo can harbor student gangs, scary teachers, and incomprehensible hanyous, who says they don't have priestesses who grade you on how you respond to people who can close one eyelid?

So finally, I decided on the one word which I really couldn't lose with.

"Thanks."

And _that _is how you get an A+ on an imaginary test.

"The pleasure is mine," Kaede returned graciously. "So, how has school been?"

"Okay," I said, shrugging. Worrying that she would get tired of one-word answers, I added, "I've made some new friends. I like most of my teachers."

New friends, new enemies… I could spend hours just answering that _one _question. Ha—I could spend hours just complaining about _Inuyasha. _

Only now, sitting in Kaede's room, did I realize just how much it bothered me that Inuyasha hadn't shown up to Family class. Well, his loss. Now he's stuck with the baby for another day.

"That's good," Kaede said. "Are ye adjusting well? What do ye think of Tokyo?"

"I'm not sure yet," I admitted.

"Have you been to the city?"

"Rin and I went to the mall there. It was pretty cool, but…"

"Too big?" Kaede suggested, smirking wryly.

I grinned, grateful. "Exactly."

"I can understand that," she said. "I've never loved big, bustling cities meself. But me home is wherever the Orb of Night is… so I belong here."

I'm afraid I can't say the same.

"I would think a girl like yerself would be excited to be living in the big city," Kaede teased.

I shrugged. "My friends in Okinawa were like that too. I miss Okinawa a lot, though."

Oh man… don't make me think about Okinawa anymore, please. It's depressing enough being here, without dwelling on where I'm _not_.

Somehow, Kaede seemed to understand my feelings even without me saying them. "I think ye will find that Tokyo may be a nicer place than ye previously thought, if ye give it the chance. But enough about that.

"Let's talk about you. And your power."

"I'm all ears," I said.

I'll admit it. I'm excited—but only about this! Just learning to use my spiritual power. That's it. You hear? It has absolutely nothing to do with Tokyo, or anything in Tokyo. It'd be better if I were learning this in Okinawa. But I'm learning it here, so I have to suck it up and deal.

Okay, I'mexcited. But only just a little.

"Good, ye'll need to be," Kaede said. "All righty. Let me start off by telling ye that you have the most spiritual power I have ever seen in a child as young as yerself—well, no. That's not quite true. There was one young woman whose powers did rival yours… though I don't believe she surpassed ye."

"Um…"

"Yes?"

"Was her name…" just spit it out. It's a name, not a curse. "Kikyo?"

Kaede's eyebrows raised, just like I thought they would. "Yes, that'd be the girl's name. Poor thing," she added quietly. But then she was shrewd. "How did ye know, child?"

"My friends at school knew her," I said, my courage growing. Maybe Kaede could tell me more about the mysterious Kikyo?

Kaede raised an eyebrow. "You wouldn't happen to be friends with a young man named Inuyasha Takahashi, would you?"

This was the beginning of the end. I could just feel it.

Oh no.

What if she knew him? What if she… shudder… _didn't hate him_? What if they were family?! Or something?! I couldn't possibly talk about him without letting slip _some _clue of my intense and mildly psychotic detestation-obsession! And then… if she found out… and if she got mad… she could kick me out… she could kick _all _of us out… and we wouldn't be able to afford to go back to Okinawa… we'd live on the streets… and we'd starve… and we'd beg… and we'd get sick… and I'd be murdered by Menomaru and Gatenmaru… AND IT'D BE ALL MY FAULT!

No. No, it'd be all Inuyasha's fault.

Well, at least it'd give me an excuse to go kill him before I died.

"Kagome? Are ye all right, child?"

I blinked, realizing that Kaede was calling me, and, far more disturbing, realizing that the reason I hadn't heard her the first forty times was because I'd been thinking about _Inuyasha._

"What? Oh, yeah. I'm always fine," I said dismissively.

"Well, I had asked… do ye know Inuyasha?"

She definitely knew him.

And I am definitely screwed.

"Yeah, I know him," I said evasively. "How do you know him?"

She smiled. "He's my grandson."

S-C-R-E-W-E-D.

Screwed.

I could see it now: she'll ask me if I like him. I'll say he's okay. She'll ask me what's okay about him. I'll stutter. She'll press. I'll shift uncomfortably. She'll continue. I'll spill my guts and get my whole family fired.

But Kaede sighed and said something completely different from what I'd expected: "I hope he hasn't been being too rude to ye, Kagome."

Something in her voice made me feel like I was safe. So I said wryly, "It pains me to dash your hopes."

"Just what I thought," she muttered.

I frowned. "How did you know?"

"Well," Kaede said, "I figured he might not be so inclined to be your friend at first because of how much ye resemble Kikyo. She broke his heart, see… and even though he acts tough, he's more sensitive than ye realize."

That'll be the day, when _Inuyasha _learns to be _sensitive. _I'm beginning to think Kaede's a little crazy.

But to avoid blatantly insulting Kaede's grandson, I said, "I heard that Kikyo… died."

Kaede smiled grimly. "Yes. She did."

She didn't elaborate.

"I'm sorry," I muttered.

"It's all right," Kaede said. "It's been two years… although I cared about her a great deal."

"What was she like?"

"Ah… she was an orphan. She didn't relate well to others—one thing she had in common with Inuyasha. She was admired by many at school, I believe, but she distanced herself from them—like Inuyasha did, before he met Sango and Miroku. Kikyo… she did love him, but she was always very quick to distrust. I believe she was a bit of a bad influence on Inuyasha."

"Like what?"

What kind of "bad influence" were we talking about? Drugs? Crime? Child prostitution? Murder?

"Oh, nothing illegal," Kaede assured me, taking in my expression with a wise eye. "Only that… while they were together, Inuyasha was inclined to be a bit more reserved. I cared about Kikyo, I tried to help her and Inuyasha both, but… it almost seemed like she was going to ruin all the progress Inuyasha had made."

I knew it would be nosy to ask—but man, I WANTED to. What was she talking about? What "progress?" It almost sounded like Inuyasha had once been _introverted _or _shy. _But when I take the Inuyasha I know now… and try to picture him as a shy little kid… I can't.

I think I'd prefer the shy kid.

So I nodded like I knew what she was talking about, and she smiled like she knew exactly what I was thinking. "Child, there are many things ye would not guess about Inuyasha on first glance."

Yeah. Like his criminal record.

"I just wish…" I stopped myself before I continued.

"Yes?" Kaede asked.

I glanced at her. I barely knew this woman. But when I saw her, I didn't only see my spiritual mentor or Inuyasha's grandmother. Kaede is many things. A powerful priestess. A loving parent. A loving grandparent. A caring teacher.

A person to talk to?

So I sighed, and told her the truth, told her what I'd been aching to admit to someone who I knew wouldn't a) make fun of me or b) call Inuyasha's parents and earn me the title of Snitch for life (cough cough, my mother).

"Sometimes I just wish he'd treat me like a person," I muttered. "Or at least be consistent. He _can _be nice, but when he is, it's almost like it's against his will or "good" judgment."

Kaede nodded sagely—again. Sagely. Haven't I mentioned that before? "It isn't in Inuyasha's nature to be naturally accepting of newcomers—especially someone in your position."

My position. "Why?"

Why the heck am I even asking? Aren't we supposed to be talking about being a _priestess? _Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think stupid inuhanyous fall into that category.

"He has his reasons. But we're not here to talk about Inuyasha," Kaede said wryly. "If ye want to learn more about him so much, ye should ask him."

I blushed, resisting the urge to mutter something about stupid guys and their biased grandmothers.

"Anyway," Kaede said, "Down to business. Kagome. How much experience have you had in shrine keeping?"

"About as much as my sister and brother," I said. "So, I know some things, but nothing complicated. I can throw purification salt, but I don't know about all the different kinds… um… I know the basics about different types of demons, you know, Formers and Takers, and I know some things about the best defense tactics against them and their abilities, but nothing too in-depth."

"Are ye acquainted with the Shrine Keeper's Code?"

Shrine Keeper's Code… it rang a bell. "Maybe, but remind me."

Kaede nodded, not judging, but as if she'd expected this. "The Shrine Keeper's Code is a list of laws and formalities which all shrine keepers in Japan abide by. We won't get into it too in depth now—I know your father knew it, and your mother probably knows it, so make sure you ask her to tell you more about it. All professional shrine keepers know it."

"Can you give me some idea of what it says?"

"It mainly deals with limitations and responsibilities," Kaede said. "As ye are not yet the senior shrine keeper in yer home—although ye may be eventually, and sooner than ye think—ye do not have to worry about the responsibilities. Mainly, they consist of reporting any demon attacks to the Council of Demon-Human Integration. However, ye should know the limitations, lest you learn the hard way."

"Wait," I said slowly. "I think I know some of them. Demons are people too, and we can't just kill them in cold blood."

"Exactly," Kaede said. "That's the most important one, the most sensible one, and the most simple one for it is mostly common sense."

I nodded in agreement. "So… you can only use your abilities to kill if they threaten you or someone else, right?"

"Precisely. Very good. Ye're a rookie, but ye know more than ye give yerself credit for," Kaede said, winking at me.

I grinned. "I know."

Kaede sipped her tea. I sipped mine, came very close to spilling it, and lowered it immediately to the table, beginning to fear for my clothes and my dignity.

When both our cups were resting on the table, Kaede began to speak again.

"What ye are going to learn here with me is going to be very different from what I am teaching yer family," Kaede said. Her voice was soft, slow… captivating. "So it's very important that ye listen. Today is a bit of an introductory lesson, so ye won't need to worry about writing anything down or taking notes—actually, there will be very few times when ye need to do something like that. I think that note-taking is a bit unnecessary for an education such as this, don't ye?"

"Well, I wouldn't really know," I said, both sheepish and wry.

"Good point," Kaede said appreciatively. She smirked. "I like ye, child. You seem bright. I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy teaching ye."

"I couldn't have asked for a better teacher," I said honestly.

"Ye flatter me," Kaede said. "But I don't mind it, so thank ye."

We laughed a little, and I felt the last remnants of tension vanishing from the room. I was ready to learn, and I knew Kaede was ready to teach. So began the lesson.

"What ye will be learning from me is not only the techniques, but an appreciation and understanding of the techniques and their origins. It is a sad thing, these modern times, for so many people call themselves shrine keepers, priests, priestesses, and yet really they know only the barest shadow of their element. For only by pursuing enlightenment can one ever hope to grow. Do ye understand what I mean, child?"

…Sure. "Are you saying there's more to an Expulsion Pulse than just shooting an arrow into a wall?" I'd already known that. But how else could I phrase what she was trying to explain?

"Put simply, I suppose, yes. What I'm trying to explain to ye is that there's a thousand scrolls of knowledge hidden in just the nick on a bow or the rip on an arrow feather."

Normally, in a situation like this, I'd probably be thinking something sarcastic right now. Not because I'd think it was stupid, but just because that's generally what I do when people start going cosmic. But something in Kaede's voice and eyes kept me entirely serious.

"I think…" I said slowly, "That I understand what you're trying to say."

And I realized I _did _understand. Did that mean I could explain it to anyone without repeating Kaede word-for-word? Heck no. But still, some deep (obviously mute) part of me grasped her message and held on tight.

Kaede smiled. "Then I can go on.

"You must search for meanings in the tiniest things… from this day onward, I want you to begin to observe, to wonder, to question—I want you to look twice at things you once took for granted."

"Um, Kaede—"

The old woman shook her head at me, sensing my doubts before I could voice them… which I found a bit creepy. "A priestess's greatest strength is her understanding and appreciation for the world. You have a pure heart and an overwhelming amount of spiritual power… but before you can truly learn to use it, you must learn to understand life… and, just as difficult… to accept it."

Well. That was certainly a lot to think about, wasn't it?

Although what Kaede had to say had by no means stopped capturing my interest, apparently I'd regained my potential for sarcasm. "So… you're saying that before I actually start learning how to use my powers, I have to sit in some forest and learn to commune with trees?"

Say I sound stupid. Fine. But for the record, my goals have just went down from Invincible Priestess Kagome, slayer of the infamous and feared Evil Inuhanyou Inuyasha to Kagome, Buddha Wannabe. I think I have a right to doubt.

Kaede began to laugh… I wasn't sure whether it irked me or relieved me until she spoke. "Of course not," she said, shaking her head. "Understanding will come with training and effort. All I want ye to do is, while we're not in lessons, to just try to think about things in different ways. Do ye understand my meaning, child?"

"Yeah, a little more than before."

"Good," Kaede said. "All I ask is that ye make progress, Kagome. All anyone can ever do is progress."

"If you don't mind me asking… what are we going to do today?"

Kaede smirked. "Haven't we been talking? Isn't that "doing" something?"

I blushed, although I'd expected something like that. "Well, yes, but…"

"I understand yer impatience. I was much the same when I was yer age, believe it or not. My, that was a long time ago." She sighed. "Youth is a beautiful thing, Kagome. Don't waste yers."

"Um… I'll make a note of it?" I joked.

Kaede smiled. "Ye'd be surprised how many people take youth for granted. I mean, look at me."

"You don't look too bad," I said easily.

"I'm not," Kaede said wryly. "Not _bad_. I'm content; I've lived a full life, and that's the most anyone can ever ask fer. But I'm old, wrinkled, a bit tired… this is in everyone's future. Well, every human, at least."

"Kaede-sama?"

"Yes?"

"How old can demons live to be?"

"Ah," Kaede said, leaning back a bit. "Well… that's a bit of a difficult question. What kind of demons are we talking about?"

"I don't know… any."

"It very much depends whether it's a demon capable of speech," Kaede began to explain. "You see, those who are beast-like, with no real intelligence, sentience, or language, usually have a life-span of about one hundred years."

"The worm-dragons?" I asked her.

Kaede nodded. "Yes, those definitely fall into that category. However, most don't live to one hundred years because demon slayers often have to kill them. Non-sentient demons are the most bloodthirsty of any.

"But the ones with intelligence, speech, sentience, all those… most of them can live for hundreds of years, thousands, even."

_Hundreds of years… thousands…._

They were numbers I was too young to comprehend.

"And they never look old, right?" I asked.

"Depends on the species," Kaede said. "Often if they're happy, they can maintain their youth indefinitely. But when they begin to feel they have nothing to live fer… but keep living on… sometimes they look older."

For some unexplainable reason, I began to feel a heavy cloud of depression settling on me. I couldn't help but think about what she was saying. Imagine living forever, or at least what seemed like forever to someone like me. It might not be so bad, if you had someone to share your life with. Living forever, in love with someone who loves you back, maybe with children who love you dearly and who you wouldn't trade for the world? With friends and family, there to support you?

That is my idea of heaven.

But what if… gradually or suddenly… all those people disappeared?

How would you survive, condemned to thousands of years alone?

Kaede nodded solemnly, seeing the sudden grief in my eyes. "Aye," she said softly. "Sometimes life can feel too long. Even fer humans."

Wanting to shake off the sorrow, I said, "So, what's considered adult in demon years?"

"Usually about one hundred," she said. "That would be the equivalent of roughly twenty-one in human years."

Suddenly a thought struck me. "What about half demons?" I asked.

She smiled. "Well, that's a very interesting subject. They're very rare, and it's a bit hard to explain their aging. Take Inuyasha, for example. Physically, in human years, he's seventeen. But in demon years, he would be about forty-seven."

Whoa.

"Yes, I can see yer surprise," Kaede said wryly.

"Uh-huh," I said.

Why did that matter so much?

It wasn't that it bothered me or repulsed me. Why would it? Why should I judge him by that? His age in demon years didn't bother me at all; all it meant was that although he was still a teenager, technically, in demon years he was technically entering adult hood. It shouldn't surprise me, really. I mean, I knew he was a half demon. I knew he was probably older in demon years than he looked. He would be about… twenty-one, Kaede had said? If it was one hundred for a full demon?

It doesn't matter. Cause whether Inuyasha is a teenage idiot or a middle-aged man, he's still annoying as hell.

"Ye've been here for a while, and I'm sure ye want to be home soon," Kaede said, standing.

I stood with her. "This has been really interesting, Kaede-sama. You should know that I'm happy to stay as long as you need me."

Kaede smiled. "It gladdens me to hear that, Kagome. But we've talked fer a long time. I want ye to think on what I've told ye."

"Of course."

I put on my shoes and she followed me to the door, opening it for me. "Just one thing before ye go home," Kaede said. "What do ye feel when ye hold the Orb of Night?"

I was suddenly wary; what if this question was the test which I had been waiting for the last forty minutes? I know that the Orb of Night can sense spiritual power and whether people are pure of heart. What if it can sense something else inside those who can hold it? What if there is yet _another _criteria I have to meet before Kaede is willing to take me on as a shrine keeper?

The Orb of Night is mysterious, seductive, and unimaginably powerful. Inside that sphere are the essences of maybe hundreds of demons, including possibly the strongest evil demon or half demon ever to seek power, whose name I know Kaede has mentioned but I can't seem to recall.

And outside the Orb… I know that there is someone out there who seeks it.

I know that from experience.

"I can't describe it," I finally said.

Kaede's brow furrowed. "Are ye sure?"

I nodded, looking bashful. "Sorry. I'll think about it for next lesson… it's like nothing I've ever experienced before."

"Well, all right, child," she finally said after a minute of contemplation. "But promise me one thing, will ye?"

I nodded. "Sure."

She pursed her lips. "Don't take to holding the Orb of Night as a hobby."

A hobby?

I couldn't tell what she meant, and I couldn't tell if I was going to listen. But she seemed very concerned… so I said, for her peace of mind, "I don't know how I'm going to be able to describe the feeling to you if you don't want me to touch it, but okay."

Yes. I can describe it. It's like a magnetic force, drawing me to it… it's like a distorted hall of whispers, beckoning me toward it… it's like a black hole, sucking me into it.

But for some reason, I've chosen not to tell her that.

**A/N: Infinite thank-you's to I am the Wind Mizuki Kay, xXthenextbookwormXx, k, SuperHarryPotterNerd, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, lil mama, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, daichilover, hihi123, beautiful-surreal, and LunaP for reviewing! I love you guys :D, and the rest of my readers, too—don't worry, I'm not forgetting about the rest of you ^^. I hope you liked this chapter, please review! Okay, hihi123: I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know what you mean by "OH… WHAT'S GONNA GO DOWN?!" But if you would clarify that for me in your review for this chapter or the next ones, I would greatly appreciate it :). **

**Anyway, thanks so much for the reviews, guys, and please review this chapter and the next ones! I welcome old, new, and anonymous reviewers, as always! :D **


	28. Power Is A Drug

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Here it is! I'd love it if you'd review before you read 29! Love you guys! :D**

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: POWER IS A DRUG

"So? How was it?"

The moment I opened the door to my bedroom, my famously over-excitable best friend and sister bombarded me with questions.

I laughed. "Rin? You know you have your own room, right?"

She sighed. "Yeah, but it's so weird. I got lonely. So I decided to wait for you in here!"

"Okay, Rin," I said, grinning. "As long as you don't end up bringing a mat in here and sleeping overnight."

She grinned ruefully. I knew that she didn't have to read very far between the lines to know that what I'd just said was pretty much like giving her the green light.

Rin pulled me onto my bed, sitting cross-legged in front of me. "Nope," she said smugly as I began to move off of it, with the intent of beginning my formidable workload. "No homework until you tell me _everything_."

I raised an eyebrow. "Somebody is in Stubborn-Rin mode," I teased.

"I don't have to be in Stubborn-Rin mode," Rin retorted. "I'm both by nature."

We laughed together, and finally I told her everything that had happened. Yes, everything—as in, from my talk with Sango to my leaving Kaede's apartment and walking home.

She looked anxious, but it wasn't about what I thought it would be. "You weren't rude to Kaede-sama just because she's Inuyasha's grandma, were you?"

My mouth fell open. I'll admit it: I didn't see that coming at all. You see, you'd think that if something were to worry Rin about what I'd just said, it would be the fact that _Japan's most famous gang _is after my neck.

Not my manners.

I sighed. Typical Rin, being atypical; that's why I love her.

"No, I wasn't," I assured her. "So… can you think of anything else you might want to ask about?"

Anything life-threatening, for instance?

She looked at me innocently, eyes big and eyebrows raised. "No. Why? Is there something else I should be asking about?"

You've got to be kidding me.

Then Rin's eyes widened and she _oohhh_'d dramatically. "Ooooooohhhhh. You're worried about the gangs."

Well, I was. Until a few seconds ago. Now I'm worried about _you_.

Her face turned serious then. "No, you're right. I shouldn't joke around; this is a bad thing. I mean, I'm not quite as into reading those morbid murder reports you like in the newspaper—"

"Rin!"

"—but I know that it's bad. It must be, if it's worrying you."

I sighed. "Do you even know what Spider Blood is?"

Rin rolled her eyes. "Of course, Kagome. I think everyone does."

"THEN WHY AREN'T YOU PANICKING?!"

"Kagome? Rin? Are you okay?"

Our heads swiveled toward the door as it opened, revealing our mother and grandfather, both looking perplexed in a way I might have found comical… had I not been busy imagining the thousand ways I might soon be murdered.

Rin glanced at me, and she didn't need to look for longer than that second to know that this wasn't something I wanted to discuss with my mom and grandpa.

"We're fine," we said in unison.

"Just doing homework," Rin said sweetly.

"Test tomorrow," I added.

"We forgot to study," she tacked on.

Yeah. And we forgot how to lie.

Mom and Grandpa exchanged a glance, but still they left us alone.

"That was close," I muttered.

"They must be really distracted with something if they didn't notice that," Rin commented.

"What do you think they're doing? Still cleaning?"

Rin nodded. "Maybe. Or working around the shrine, you know?"

"Yeah."

"So…" Rin said, "What are we going to do about our… problem?"

Eyes snapping to her face, I said, "You know that you can't tell _anyone _about this."

"I won't tell a soul," she promised. "Who else knows?"

"Well… you, me, Sango, obviously… and Inuyasha and Miroku. That's it."

"Hey… how are things going between you and Inuyasha?"

I rolled my eyes. "We haven't hooked up, if that's what you're asking."

Rin grinned. "I wasn't actually thinking about _that_… but hey, whatever floats your boat."

She scurried off the bed before I could hit her with a pillow, which had somehow made its way into my hands.

"Then what were you talking about?" I asked. "If not inappropriate actions I would never do with stupid guys?"

Rin laughed. Obviously feeling it was safe to approach, she took a hesitant step back toward me. "I actually just wanted to know if anything's happened between you two lately."

"Oh," I said. "Well… I told you before that he and Koga dragged me up to the roof, right?"

Rin nodded.

"And… I guess… he was acting weird in gym," I said.

"Oh? How so?"

"Um… well… he was being kind of nice." Seeing her smile, I said hastily, "But he wrecked it at lunch! He's such a jerk. It doesn't matter that he was nice, it was once, and it probably won't happen again."

"You know, for somebody who claims she doesn't give a crap what Inuyasha thinks, you seem to be taking his little tantrum at lunch rather hard," Rin pointed out.

Glaring, I growled, "It wasn't a tantrum, it was deliberate exclusion. And who are you saying is taking it hard?"

"You? I thought I just said that."

Rin has a way of smiling innocently that makes it impossible to be mad at her. And sometimes it drives me crazy.

Like now.

On Friday Rin was sick, and didn't come to school. Nothing very out of the ordinary happened, and I was relieved to find that Gatenmaru and Menomaru didn't bother me during Family. Inuyasha showed up to class that time and made a big fuss about how I should take the baby for two days cause he was too lazy to show up yesterday.

Though I flat out refused to take the baby for two days, I agreed to take it for my turn, like the gracious girl I am. So here I am, stuck in my living room trying to watch television on a Saturday morning with a piece of plastic screaming in my ear.

Rin came down the stairs in a pink bathrobe, rubbing her eyes with her fists, her hair disorderly and falling nearly over her face. "You think you could get your baby to be a little quieter?" she grumbled.

"Believe me, I'm doing the best I can." Grabbing a pillow and the doll, I offered them to her. "Want to try?"

Rin sighed, taking the baby from my not-so-child-safe hands and cradling it in her arms. "You're hopeless, Kagome," she teased.

I groaned. "Yeah? Why don't you take care of it, then?"

"I can't help that I'm a good mother and you…" she paused, pretending to think about what I am good at. Finally she decided, "Would make a good hit-man. So don't be jealous."

I rolled my eyes. "Maybe I _would_ make a good hit-man," I considered.

Flipping through the channels absent-mindedly, I leaned my head back against the couch. "Remind me again why we didn't go out and do something last night?"

Rin raised an eyebrow. "Cause I was sick and Sango was on patrol?"

"Oh." I grimaced. "The baby kept me up all night. I didn't get any sleep at all."

"You just let it cry all night?!"

"I tried, I did!" I protested. "But the stupid thing won't shut up."

Rin glanced down at the doll in her arms. "That looks pretty 'shut up' to me."

My eyes widened… because she was right.

"I give up!" I cried in exasperation, throwing my arms to the sky as if hoping that someone might hear me and take pity on my pathetic life. Yes. Get me out of here. Someplace warm. Preferably an island. Okinawa, perhaps? "I'm a bad mother! The father's even worse! We don't even have a name for the kid, we fight every day, and the stupid baby is gonna grow up to be emotionally disturbed."

Rin grinned. "You realize it's a doll, right? It can't grow up."

That. Is. My. POINT.

A few hours later, I found myself endeavoring to do my math homework.

"Even I could be a better mom than you," Sota commented—which I doubted, seeing as he's a boy. He grimaced at the thrashing doll which I was desperately rocking and cooing to in my arms.

I am dangerously near duct-taping this thing to the tabletop.

"Yeah, right," I said. He started for the door, and I demanded like the responsible older-sister I am, "Where are you going?"

Sota grinned. "Shippo's house. You should get out more, Kagome. Even I have more of a social life than you."

"SOTA! Get back here!"

But he had already left.

Twerp.

Maybe I could wheedle Mom into helping me when she gets back from shopping with Grandpa. She would probably know what to do. I mean, she raised both me and Sota from infancy, and god knows we must've been a pain in the neck.

"Rin?"

"Yeah?" Rin asked, peeking in from the kitchen.

"If this doll drives me insane, will you do me a few favors?"

Rin grinned warily. "Well, that depends on whether they involve murder."

Dang it.

The doorbell rang about fifteen minutes later, and I practically leaped to my feet in relief.

My mother has come to save me.

"YES!" I screamed, wrenching open the door. "Oh god, Mom, you've got to—"

Not fair. So not fair.

I shut the door in his face.

"KAGOME!"

Last time I checked, Inuyasha couldn't make his voice sound like Sango and Miroku put together. And that was when I realized, with more than a little embarrassment, that there were two other people standing on my porch _besides _dog-boy.

Whoops.

Rin ran over to the door. "Who is it?" she asked me.

I just opened the door to show her.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked, confused.

"Really, Kagome? What was that for?" Sango asked, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, the door-slamming thing? I saw Inuyasha, I shut the door. End of story."

"Oh, okay," Sango said. "That's reasonable, then."

"Keh," Inuyasha said, rolling his eyes. "I only showed up cause they made me."

"Guys, you really shouldn't pressure him into doing anything he doesn't want to," I told them. I turned to Inuyasha, smiling acidly. "You're perfectly welcome to leave, Inuyasha."

"We did not make him do anything, actually," Miroku told me, eyes twinkling in that way he has, the way that says he knows something we don't. "I believe he is staying of his own accord."

Inuyasha grinned at me. "Keh, believe me, I'm outta my mind with boredom right now, but I know _you _want me to get the hell outta here as much as _I _do… so I'm staying."

I sighed, too exhausted to take the bait. "Okay, whatever. Guys, why are you here?"

Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha exchanged a confused look.

Finally Sango asked in disbelief, "You aren't even going to start fighting with him?"

"Your tone implies that _I _start the fights," I grumbled.

"Keh. You do."

"You don't start it, but you're usually happy to continue," Sango clarified.

Sango? I slept four hours last night. I'm exhausted and short-tempered. And when I'm inches away from adding the whole world to my death list, telling me I like spitting fire at Inuyasha isn't the kind of thing you should do.

But my exhaustion prevented the complaints I would normally make, and instead I rubbed my eyes, yawned, and said, "Believe me, normally I would love to give Inuyasha a piece of my mind, but the _baby _kept me up all night and I'm tired enough to drop dead." I glared at Inuyasha. "Speaking of that, since you had the good grace to show up today, you're taking the baby home when you leave."

"No way," Inuyasha snarled. "You owe me two days anyway."

"I do _not _owe you two days—"

"We switch off in Family—"

"There's no way I'm keeping the kid—"

"No way am I taking the kid—"

"FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND!" we finished in unison.

Sango, Miroku, and Rin looked between us for a moment, before finally deciding that it was more amusing than anything else.

So much for being tired, huh?

And so it turns out that there _is _a way Inuyasha could benefit society: alarm clocks. If I chopped Inuyasha up into little pieces and made a bunch of alarm clocks out of him, I could make millions.

It's a valid career option, people.

"Well," Sango said, smirking, "Now that you're fully awake, why don't you go prove to us that you can hold the Orb of Night?"

Ah.

I'm not sure why that didn't occur to me before. I mean, we've been planning this since the beginning of the week. But then why was Inuyasha here at all? There is no reason why he would want to spend his Saturday in a tiny den, watching some girl he can't stand and _claims _he doesn't hate hold the Orb of Night and remind him of his dead girlfriend.

But he's an idiot, so why even bother to make sense of him?

"Ah, I see how it is," I said, smirking at Sango.

Sango grinned. "You know that we want to see you guys, too. But we _are _interested in seeing the Orb of Night."

Rin and I glanced at each other. "You've never seen it before?" we asked in surprise.

"Well, he has," Sango said, jerking her thumb at Inuyasha. Was that because of Kikyo, or because Inuyasha is Kaede's grandson? "But us _commoners _aren't _allowed _to see such secret things."

If Sango and her Acura are _commoners_, what does that make me and my bicycle?

"Well," I said, smirking, "Then consider yourselves very lucky."

It did vaguely occur to me that by taking them to see the Orb of Night and holding it, I was breaking two rules: one, apparently people who don't take care of the shrine aren't allowed to see the Orb, and two, _I'm _not supposed to be touching the Orb.

Oh, heck, I've never been one for rules.

But maybe Inuyasha would tell Kaede?

As soon as I thought it, I knew that that wasn't the kind of thing even Inuyasha would do. He's a lot of things, but he's not a snitch, and he's probably the type who likes breaking rules for the fun of it.

Dragging a poor girl to the roof for an hour for no reason, for instance.

It really unnerved me, how much I was dwelling on my grievances against Inuyasha. This may be hard to believe, but I'm not usually a grudge holder. So why do I keep thinking about this, about Inuyasha, about everything he's said to me?

What right does he have to make me so mad that I can't let go?

"It is so cool to have connected friends," Sango breathed as we approached the shrine.

I stopped briefly, my hand resting on the door. Right here… I had been right here when it first spoke to me.

"Lovely Kagome, are you all right?"

I nodded slowly, too taken aback by the flood of memories which assaulted me to notice the aura of irritation growing around Sango or to hear Inuyasha say, "Dude, there's no way to tell if that wench is all right, but if you don't stop lying to flatter people _you're _not gonna be all right."

Well, okay. I heard that. And it bothered me a little.

But not enough to take my mind off the voice whispering in my head.

_Kagome… Kagome… Kagome…_

"KAGOME!"

I jumped, slamming back down to Earth and nearly stumbling.

"It's okay, Kagome," Rin consoled, patting my arm. She opened the door to the shrine, pointing to where an arrow stuck out of the far wall. "See? The Expulsion Pulse is still in place. That demon isn't coming back for awhile."

"Kaede said a week," I muttered. "And it's been a week."

"Would you two ladies like to explain what it is that you're discussing?" Miroku asked politely.

"Cause it's pretty stupid to have a private conversation when you whisper loud enough to talk to all of Japan," Inuyasha scoffed.

Sango frowned at us, too. Suddenly her eyes widened in understanding. "Is this about…?"

I nodded grimly. "Yeah."

Miroku glanced between us in confusion, and Inuyasha rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath.

"I was attacked by a demon here," I explained with a sigh. Retelling this story was becoming more and more fatiguing every time I had to tell it. "Sango, can you give the details? I don't really want to relive it."

Inuyasha grinned at me. "Scared of a little demon?"

"From what they told me, it's not just a _little demon_," Sango said.

You could have heard a pin drop during the silence that followed. I could tell by the way that Sango's and Miroku's faces darkened that here in Tokyo, hostile demons are no laughing matter.

It was Miroku who finally broke the silence, still staring at me. "So am I to understand that you now have Hakudoshi, Bankotsu, Darkest, Spider Blood, _and _a not-little demon trying to kill you?" It was clear that he was trying to alleviate the mood, but I knew that he was aware of the seriousness of the situation. He was probably thinking about the gangs, too… the subject we had not discussed. The subject I had a feeling we were trying very hard _not _to discuss, at least not yet.

"Sucks to be you," Inuyasha muttered.

I glared at him, trying very hard not to notice the fire in his eyes, because it's so much simpler just to be mad at him without really thinking of him as a complex person. Bristling, I said, "I don't want your pity, and I don't need your help, either—I've got Rin, Sango, and Miroku, and they're all I need."

I meant it, too. But something in Inuyasha's eyes suggested that maybe… maybe he wished I didn't mean it. Something in his eyes, that low hint of fury, concealed behind sarcasm… it told me that he was thinking deeper about all this than he let on.

The thing that told me this most of all was how his fists clenched. And somehow I knew that he was thinking about the gangs, too.

But then, of course, he had to ruin it, and in a second, whatever that _thing _in his eyes had been was gone. Or at least buried much deeper than before. "Good," Inuyasha said, giving me that trademark smirk which _infuriated _me. "Cause you're not gonna get my help."

Sango sighed. "Yes she is, and we all know it. Cut the pretense, Yasha—you're a pretty good liar, but when it comes to Kagome you're hopeless."

I wasn't so sure about the truth of Sango's promise—yes, promise, because no matter how she intended it to come out, embedded within was a promise. A promise that things won't stay this way between me and him.

A promise that things will get better… _before _Inuyasha drives me crazy.

But is that true?

If Inuyasha's words are lies, then he doesn't seem like such a hopeless liar to me.

Annoyed at the sadness and frustration this caused me, I resisted the urge to search for a way to start a fight. Instead I said, "Okay. You guys want to see the Orb? Well, let's go before I fall asleep on my feet."

Sango and Miroku exchanged an excited grin, and then turned to me and Rin. "Lead the way."

"Gladly."

Grabbing Rin by the wrist and pulling her into the den a bit quicker than usual, I immediately proceeded to enact a dramatic "stomp-stomp-chin-jerk-hair-flip." The purpose? To look like I meant murder when I pushed past Inuyasha.

Which I did. Hypothetically.

But as soon as my eyes landed on that sphere, and its forbidden recesses, all thoughts of murder dissipated instantaneously.

It's like that around the Orb of Night… it's an aura, an essence of… of _something, _something indescribable, something intangible and yet all too real at the same time. But whatever it is, it's enough to make anything you'd been brooding over a few seconds ago—rude teenage dog boys, for instance—seem very, very trivial.

And if anything, _that _should prove to you how powerful the Orb is.

The moment we filed into the den, a hush descended over us… effectively silencing any words we might have been about to say. This is about the third time I've gazed into the depths of this sphere, this piece of the night sky, this giant jewel churning with the souls of countless demons… but it never fails to mesmerize me.

Sango and Miroku stood in respectful, almost reverent silence, gazing into the Orb as if they might never see anything else in the world again. Out of the corner of my eye, I snatched a grudging glance at my least favorite person in the world… well, one of them. I won't give him the satisfaction of making him number one.

Anyway, number somewhere-between-two-and-ten was leaning against the wall, glaring at the central pedestal as if he expected it to cringe like anyone else who was forced to look at his hideous face.

The intoxicating aura of the Orb of Night had begun to fade, and just as I opened my mouth to (quietly, of course) inform him of the improbability of this happening, Sango broke the silence.

"You have no shame, do you know that?"

Sometimes I think that maybe Miroku's hand _is _cursed.

Rin and I shook our heads in disapproval, while Inuyasha _Keh_'d. Our favorite lecherous monk rubbed his red face gently—I've always wondered why people's first reaction to a bruise would be to TOUCH it. You'd think that they would try as hard as they can NOT to touch it; not make a hobby out of giving themselves pain.

Oh well. Maybe it's part of the healing process.

It took me a second to realize that the incident had been forgotten… well, by all except a rather irritated Sango. But even Sango was staring in awe at the beautiful sphere resting on its pedestal, just feet away from us. We all were… all except Inuyasha.

I glanced at Inuyasha when I saw the tension rising from his body. He almost looked ready to spring. But what could possibly bother him about the serenity of the Orb of Night?

I would have asked him about it, except at that moment, Sango asked quietly, "Can I…?"

I glanced at her. "Sure, if you want," I said, nodding toward the Orb of Night. What was the worst that could happen? It couldn't harm her; she would just feel the cold which Rin had talked about. And that was exactly what happened.

Sango yanked her arm back with a gasp. "What _was _that?"

"The Orb of Night's barrier," I explained, voice quiet, like I felt almost obliged to be when around this sphere. "If you don't have spiritual power, you can't touch it."

Sango nodded. "I know that," she said—not impatiently. More almost as if in awe that she had actually proven what people had said true. "But I didn't know it would feel cold."

Miroku stepped forward, rolling up his sleeves and puffing out his chest. Rin, Sango, and I resisted the urge to giggle. "Well, ladies and Inuyasha," he said with exaggerated pompousness, "Let me show you how it is done."

Miroku reached his hands out to grab the Orb of Night, and for a moment I almost thought he would. But he didn't. Instead, he wrenched his hands away and stumbled backwards as if struck by lightning.

Like the resounding thunder, Sango burst out laughing.

"You're impure!" she choked out, tears streaming from her eyes, wheezing with laughter.

Catching on, Rin and I also began to laugh, grinning at Miroku, who straightened up haughtily and said with a sigh, "It can't be helped."

That just made us laugh harder.

We might have kept laughing, if Inuyasha had not snapped, "Shut up, will you? We all know Miroku's impure."

Sango smirked at him. "Somebody's impatient. You want to try to hold the Orb, Inuyasha?"

He rolled his eyes. "Keh, I'm a half demon. Of course not." He shuffled his feet a little, glaring at the floor.

I don't know whether Sango, Rin, or Miroku noticed anything. But I definitely did. "Inuyasha?" I asked tentatively, not knowing why I was asking at all. "Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be? Keh. Wench."

Fine. Be difficult. I don't care. I didn't care anyway.

I didn't press him.

Sango and Miroku seemed to know better than to ask him again, so we fell into an awkward silence. But when I saw that four pairs of eyes were locked on mine, I realized they must be waiting for me to do something.

It took another second to figure that that _something _was to touch the Orb of Night. But hey, I figured it out—it's the outcome that matters, right?

I sighed. "Sometimes I feel like you're taking advantage of me," I grumbled.

"We'll pay you back," Sango promised. "Group vacation." I doubt that. "One week, on one of the breaks." Does she really think she can win me over with false promises? "Someplace warm." She couldn't really take all of us on vacation… could she? Nobody's _that _rich, right? "Like…"

I swear. If she says it, I'll kill her.

Inuyasha grinned. "I'd say Okinawa, but anything that that wench loves probably sucks… not to mention stinks like hell."

So I did the only thing I could think of: grabbed the Orb of Night, fully intending to clock Inuyasha on the head with it.

I didn't think I'd done anything all that cool. But apparently Sango and Miroku did, cause their eyes went wide enough to pop out of their heads.

Yeah. As in dinner-plate wide.

"Kagome…?"

"You weren't kidding…"

I couldn't help grinning a little at this. "Nope."

Here it was… it was in my hands, it belonged to me, it belonged _with _me… it was the core of my very being… or maybe _I _was the core… of _its _being… because it certainly had a being, somewhere; there was a presence inside the Orb of Night. Lurking in the stars of its dark sky, I could almost see something peering out. I could have sworn… I saw someone…

"Kagome."

Rin's quiet voice brought me back to my body, and I shuddered, gripping the Orb tighter to stop myself from dropping it.

Now I had to concentrate… I had to concentrate on not falling in.

Because I'm almost positive it's trying to suck me in.

Suddenly I felt a strange sensation, just one of those things you feel when you _know _someone is looking at you. I turned very slightly… and locked eyes with Inuyasha, who looked like he was about to have a seizure.

Sango, Rin, and Miroku followed my questioning gaze, and we stared at Inuyasha. His eyes… those golden, amber eyes which mocked me at every corner… in which in a few rare moments, there have been compassion… stared at me and the Orb as if seeing through us and not liking what he was seeing.

"Inuyasha?" Miroku asked questioningly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Inuyasha was frozen. Absolutely frozen.

"Inuyasha?" Sango called his name.

I began to wonder if he was ever going to move again. I began to wonder whether I'd be too upset if he didn't.

But then, to my relief and dismay, he blinked. Shaking his head roughly, he muttered, "Keh. What the hell are you guys staring at?" Seeming to realize for the first time that somebody's "cursed" hand was on his shoulder, he asked Miroku, "And what the hell is your damn _cursed _hand doing on my shoulder?"

Miroku sighed at the ground in a manner I'd begun to recognize. It was almost as if he were praying for Inuyasha's idiocy… to the gods of the underworld.

I was right all along: only Hades is evil enough to help people like Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, you look like you're constipated or something," Sango muttered.

Inuyasha glared at her. "Keh, shut up."

"Will you do us all a favor and stop starting every sentence that comes out of your mouth with _KEH?!_"

By this time my voice had escalated to a near furious shout. Not hysterical, mind you—just… deadly, deadly furious.

Except shouting isn't my normal way of expressing deadly fury. And that's what made me stop and begin to doubt my self control.

Sango, Miroku, and Rin stared at me wide-eyed, obviously unprepared for the sudden outburst. I could feel a kind of hum, a vibration coming from the Orb and it almost heated in my hands. For the first time, I didn't feel as if I were about to fuse with that abyss of power… I felt like the power was about to fuse with me.

The feeling was amazing—in a terrifyingly twisted way.

All I wanted to do at that moment was to clutch the Orb of Night closer, to bond it with me, myself, and my soul, to become one with the Orb and absorb its power; and yet at the same time, I wanted to smash it on the ground. My friend's calls of my name were blending together so that it was no longer distinguishable… _Kagome… Ka… gome… Gokame… kagakaomego… Go… Ka… me… Me… Go… me… Go…_

_ KAGOME._

The one voice, the combination of _all _the voices, broke through the indistinct din and cleared my head… filling me with the most distinct sense of _danger _I could have ever imagined could emanate from a sphere.

I needed to drop it. I needed to hurl the Orb of Night to the crowd and stomp on the shattered remains. I needed to burn it and bury the ashes, deep within the earth.

But I couldn't.

The humming…

The power…

The whispers…

The voice…

"Damnit, wench!"

It all disappeared.

A sudden pain in my shoulder distracted me for the briefest moment… long enough to be slammed sideways into the wall and stumble, beginning to fall to the floor. Long enough for the Orb of Night to slip from my fingers, tumbling to the ground where it landed with a loud _BANG_, intact and unscathed.

I closed my eyes tightly, waiting for the impact of the ground under my head, but it never came.

Believe me, if I'd ever thought that in a few days I would be _happy _to open my eyes and find myself face to face and in the arms of my least favorite inuhanyou, I would have thought that Tokyo was finally getting to me.

Maybe it was the fact that I'd just had nearly all my strength sapped out by a pretty-looking spherical chunk of jewel and evil demons… or maybe it was because I felt dizzy and nauseous and had just hit my head against a wall… but for whatever reason, it crossed my delusional mind that, with his long white hair dangling over me and his golden eyes glaring at me, Inuyasha didn't look half bad. In fact, I went so far as to think that it'd be pretty comfortable just to go to sleep here—although I'm pretty sure that has something to do with the fact that I just banged my freaking skull against a freaking solid wood wall—before he had to go and say something obnoxious.

"Is it fucking impossible for you to stay out of trouble?!"

Let me rephrase everything I just said before. Inuyasha doesn't look half bad because he looks _completely _bad, and the only reason I ever wanted to close my eyes and fall asleep in his arms is because _HE JUST SLAMMED MY GODDANG BRAIN AGAINST A WALL._

Groaning, I sat up. "What the heck was that for?!" I retorted hotly.

Our glares met in full force, and what I saw in his eyes surprised me for a second… just a second, because then we realized the rather awkward position we were in and immediately scooted away from each other, my cheeks burning. Even his cheeks bore a slight pink tinge.

Rin, Sango, and Miroku began to giggle.

They should be really, really thankful I wasn't holding anything sharp or pointy right now… or heavy, like the Orb of Night. For a moment I wondered what would happen if I were to throw the Orb of Night at them if they can't touch it…

It might still hurt, right?

I was surprised that Inuyasha hadn't started yelling his head off at them by this time… but apparently he had something of more dire concern on his mind, cause he didn't even pay them a glance. His eyes were focused entirely on me.

And it was kind of creepy.

**A/N: Well, that's that! I hope you liked it… :). Review, guys! :D**


	29. If Looks Could Kill

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Here it is! Before you read 30, please review! I love you guys! :D**

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: IF LOOKS COULD KILL

"Uh… Inuyasha? Not that I'm not thrilled to have your undivided attention but would you mind not staring at me like you're trying to decide whether or not to kill me?"

He didn't grin tauntingly like I'd expected. "Keh. It'd be easier to do that if I wasn't actually trying to decide that."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure, Inuyasha."

The vertigo had faded almost completely by now, and I stood and did what I thought was a fairly natural thing to do—reach down to pick up the Orb, which, I noticed rather guiltily, was lying abandoned on the floor.

Inuyasha reacted as if I had just proposed to set off a bomb to destroy Tokyo (not an entirely hypothetical scenario for the future, let me remind you).

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"Cleaning up after _your _mess," I retorted, my hand en route to touch the surface of the Orb of Night, all previous misgivings about it nearly forgotten.

Memory is funny that way. Something that can seem like life or death one moment… can vanish entirely the next.

Or maybe that's just me.

Inuyasha started turning blue, and I vaguely wondered if he was going to choke. "_My _mess—MY fucking mess?!"

His language distracted me, and I glanced at him. "Well, yeah. You knocked me over, and I dropped the Orb. Therefore, it's your mess."

Can half demons have aneurysms?

"Get the hell away from that thing!" Inuyasha snarled, grabbing me and pushing me aside.

He was gentler this time—meaning that I didn't fall against the wall and nearly split my skull open. So, yes, an improvement. Does that mean I _like _being grabbed by rude half demon guys who love to push my buttons? Heck no.

But it was the tone of his voice… the frantic light in his eyes… that grabbed my attention. Not his actions.

Rin's voice was quiet. "He's really worried about you," she whispered to me.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "K-keh! No I'm not. I don't give a—"

"Damn, we know," Sango finished for him, rolling her eyes and smiling skeptically at Miroku.

"I really pity you sometimes, Inuyasha," Miroku said, shaking his head at him. He glanced at me, too—also somewhat pityingly, I noticed to my annoyance and his misfortune. "You're going to have your hands full, Miss Kagome."

Turning to Inuyasha, I sighed and said, "Look. I get that you have some kind of multiple personality disorder and social handicap. I completely get that. But I still have to put that Orb back on its pedestal. If I don't, I'll get in trouble with Kaede—and I'm not even supposed to be touching the Orb in the first place."

"You're gonna _get in trouble? _Give me a front row seat and a soda, and I'll be there to watch, wench."

That's what I expected him to say… but it's not what he said.

"You can't do what anyone tells you, can you?" Inuyasha snapped. "If she told you not to touch the damn Orb, why _did _you?!"

"Since when do you care about breaking the rules?!"

Sango glanced between us, finally saying, "We wanted to see her hold the Orb, it's not her fault. Besides, Kagome's right. You _never _care about breaking the rules."

"Keh. This is different."

Something about the way he looked away from me like I wasn't worth looking at… something about how he crossed his arms across his chest and leaned angrily against the wall… it made me snap, and before I knew it I was screaming.

"YEAH? How the heck is it _different?!_" I breathed deeply, trying and failing to calm myself. My vision was going red. A blue aura appeared around Inuyasha—if he's not careful he's going to end up a pile of dust. I spent several minutes thinking of something I could say that would bother him the most. Something that would make him turn and glare at me—and most importantly, yell back. I wanted a full on shouting match… and I found the thing that could get me one.

"This is about Kikyo, isn't it?"

The room went deadly silent.

Sango and Miroku stiffened, turning to stare at me in disbelief. Rin, beside me, grabbed my arm—though whether it was to protect me or to hide from the suddenly motionless Inuyasha, I'm not sure.

My eyes were on him.

If I'd been myself, I probably would have realized that I had just crossed the wrong line. But unfortunately, I was too angry to care. I was too angry to wonder where the anger was even coming from.

But when his eyes glared like daggers into mine, it was enough to almost make me forget where I was.

Kagome Higurashi.

1994-2010.

Murdered by an insane inuhanyou for talking about his ex-girlfriend.

Rest In Peace.

"You want to say that again, wench?" he asked quietly, raising his eyebrows and flexing his claws.

Gulp.

But I stood up straight, squaring my shoulders. This was the moment. This was the moment when I could get answers… well unless he killed me first.

"Yeah," I said loudly. "I do.

"This. Is. About. KIKYO."

I thrust the last word in his face without thinking about the consequences, and Inuyasha's glare intensified until it nearly burned a hole through my skull.

"Who told her about Kikyo?" he growled, not looking away from my face.

I felt almost as bad for Sango and Miroku as I did for myself.

"Um… we would be guilty in that regard?" Miroku almost asked, his voice shrinking until it was barely a squeak.

Sango stood straighter, not willing to quail before Inuyasha's wrath—primarily, for the moment, directed at me, may I add. "She had a right to know," Sango said flatly.

"Yeah? Who gave her that right?"

I knew he was talking to them… but still, his eyes were on me.

"You did!" Sango said louder. "By being an ass. She deserved to know at least _something _about why you treat her this way."

Inuyasha's fists clenched, and for the briefest moment the fury faded from his face… not his eyes, though. His eyes remained the same.

"And how do I treat her?"

Now it was my turn to be dubious. "I don't know," I said sarcastically. "Like _dirt_, maybe?"

Most of the time. Not always. Sometimes you can be nice, Inuyasha… and if you were like that more of the time… I think we could be friends.

Too bad you're a jerk.

"Keh. You are dirt."

This was different. It wasn't the kind of, _Keh. You are dirt_, that I could just brush off with a flick of my hand. Something about these words… infused with such loathing and anger and pain… stayed with me. They didn't hurt my feelings; they didn't bring tears to my eyes.

They scared me.

Unwilling to show my fear, I smiled hopefully and said, "Well if I'm dirt, there's no need to kill me, right?"

Agonizingly slowly, Inuyasha straightened his shoulders and narrowed his eyes.

And walked toward me.

I grabbed Rin and pushed her towards Sango and Miroku. Whatever was about to happen between me and Inuyasha would _only _be between me and Inuyasha. If this is my last day on Earth, I'm sure as hell not going to let Rin get caught in the crossfire.

Oh, and Inuyasha? If I go down, I take you with me.

Unfortunately, that is looking harder and harder with every passing second.

"Ask your question. One more time."

I was silent. I couldn't speak.

"One." Step closer. "More." Steps closer. "Time."

Was not on my side, because now he towered over me.

With muscles, demon powers, and insanity… Inuyasha would make a pretty good serial killer.

And I had to speak. Except I didn't know if I could.

"This is about Kikyo." I could feel the confidence draining from my voice, and I knew he could hear it. "Isn't it?"

If looks could kill… I'd be long dead.

And then he grabbed my shoulder and I closed my eyes, waiting to die.

"You _FUCKING STUPID MORON!_"

He slammed me into the wall and my eyes snapped open… a reflex which I instantly regretted, because I could now see the red rims around his eyes. Not a good sign, in my experience.

"Inuyasha, control yourself!" Miroku shouted.

"Stay outta this!" Inuyasha snapped. "Wench, you wanna know about Kikyo? Fine. I'll tell you about her. It only takes a few seconds, anyway. I hated her with all my gut for awhile, until I started getting to know her. We started going out. I helped her fight demons and stuff. Then one day, she came to class fucking screaming at me… said I'd cheated on her or something, insulted her, used her, broke her heart, I don't know, I don't get it cause I never did it. So I tried to explain to her that I didn't have a fucking clue what she was fucking talking about, but _NO _she went and broke up with me and it was the worst—and only—break-up I've ever had, probably cause it was over FUCKING NOTHING. I tried to talk to her about it for a few days, but she steered clear of me and eventually I decided I'd give her time to cool off. Three days later she's dead, lying bloodless in THIS den cause I didn't try hard enough to make up with her. If I'd been there to protect her it wouldn't have happened, but it _did _happen, and she's not gonna fucking come back to life so I knew I had to get over her. And I did. Kikyo's history. Does that mean I like talking about her? Hell no. Does that mean I like talking about her with some stupid priestess girl that even kinda _looks _like her?! No fucking way. But could you mind your own fucking business? No you couldn't. Of course not. You don't have a clue how to keep your damn mouth shut, and someday somebody's gotta teach you or you'll fucking pay for it."

"So are you here to teach me or make me pay for it?!" I snapped.

"I don't know, wench, I haven't decided yet."

"So you don't like seeing me hold the Orb of Night because it reminds you of when your beloved _Kikyo _held it," I seethed, unsure why I was so angry because for one thing I already knew that… and for another I was scared out of my mind.

"No! How many fucking times do I have to beat that into your head? This has nothing to do with Kikyo."

"Then what do you have against me being able to hold the Orb of Night?!"

"Cause you _can't! _IT'S FUCKING POSSESSING YOU!"

If there's one thing that can shut me up, it's people telling me I'm being possessed by a sphere of demons.

The room went deadly quiet. Sango and Miroku stared at us in disbelief, Rin in a mixture of fear and concern. But I… for once, I was silent.

It's possessing me.

The Orb of Night is possessing me.

And in that moment, I knew he was absolutely right. But if he was angry about me holding it because he could sense what it was doing to me… how could he sense it and why did he care?

I swear, the guy makes himself impossible on purpose.

"Ah!"

I gasped as I felt Inuyasha's claws penetrate my skin, blood trickling down my left arm. Suddenly I wondered whether he intended to kill me after all.

The pain hit after the fear. And it stung.

"Inuyasha…" I said softly.

Inuyasha blinked, almost as if awakening from a sleep. It was as if he was surprised to find himself here… with his claws digging into my flesh.

His eyes widened, the red receding, his hands releasing me as if burned. He stared at me in shock… eyes landing on my arm.

He'd hurt me. He'd freaking hurt me.

He'd hurt me because I mentioned Kikyo. And for some reason, the fact that this was about her… and the fact that I'm not her… kindled my anger and fed it oxygen.

When he spoke, his voice was very quiet. But that didn't serve to abate my growing fury.

"Did I…?"

Yes. You did.

And because he did, I wrenched my good arm backward and slapped him across the face.

Really, really hard.

**A/N: Sorry if Kagome was a little OOC; but in my defense, she gave Inuyasha quite a lot of **_**sit**_**'s in the anime and manga, and if that isn't violent I don't know what is. I really hope you don't think she was too OOC, and if she was I hope it didn't bother you too much! Anyway, review and tell me! Read on :). **


	30. Truce

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Here it is! Last one for today! Thank you all so much, review, I love you all, I'm gonna miss you till I get back! **

CHAPTER THIRTY: TRUCE

"H-hey! Wench, what the hell was that for?!"

Hands in fists, I brushed past Inuyasha and stormed out of the den—but not before defiantly snatching up the Orb of Night and putting it back on its pedestal.

I would need ointment for my arm; it was stinging like hell. And bandages, too. Maybe hydrogen peroxide? Whatever. I could find it all in the kitchen.

"Kagome!"

"Kagome!"

"Kagome, wait!"

That stopped me for a moment… he said my name. But then I remembered I no longer cared, and continued walking.

How many times have I told myself I'm not going to care anymore? I've lost track by now. But this was different. This time… he'd gone too far.

You crossed the line, Inuyasha. And I'm convincing myself that I don't feel guilty for slapping you, that you deserve it… because you do. Of course you do….

I hope your face is really sore right now….

I glanced behind me to affirm that Inuyasha was not following before wrenching open the door to my house. For some reason, it bothered me that he wasn't there, chasing after me and yelling with his fists raised. He didn't care that he hurt me at all, did he? He was just mad that I slapped him. Well, good. I hope I disfigured him.

Knowing I didn't just made me even angrier.

I stormed into the kitchen… and nearly screamed when I realized there was someone there until I saw who it was.

"Get. Out," I enunciated, hands in shaking fists, eyes blazing.

Inuyasha's back was facing me, but he turned slightly, not quite looking at me but not facing away either… and I saw he had somehow found the ointment, hydrogen peroxide, and bandages, and laid them all out by the sink.

"Give me your arm." His voice was low, muted, almost emotionless.

Like I would let him touch me.

I glared at him, hands into fists, left arm still stinging, worried I might cry.

"Don't be a moron," he muttered when I didn't speak.

"Get out of my house," I shot back.

"Just let me—"

"No!"

Silence.

"…Kagome…"

Something in his voice made my rebuke catch in my throat. And a small voice added in my head, _He said your name. Again. _

"What?" I managed to choke out.

To my horror, I felt tears springing to my eyes. Tell me—god, the universe, _anyone: _what right does he have to make me feel like this?!

"I… I didn't mean to. It was an accident."

"That doesn't make it okay."

"I know!" he snapped, glaring at me. But then he frowned. "Are you crying?"

"No," I muttered, wiping away the tears.

"Kagome, I…"

"I get it. Just get out of my house, Inuyasha. I don't want to deal with you right now."

But Inuyasha didn't back down. He turned fully around to face me, holding out a hand. "Give me your arm."

"You've got to be crazy."

"Or I'll take it."

It's hard to believe that anybody, even somebody like Inuyasha, could have a use for a disembodied limb.

I glared. "What. So you can hurt me again?"

"No, stupid," Inuyasha growled. "Just… will you trust me for one fucking second?"

I laughed bitterly. "And what have you done to earn that trust, Inuyasha?"

I could see the hurt in his eyes… because he knew it was true.

I feel no remorse.

But then his dog ears drooped. Just like that. And there he was, a sad puppy dog, standing there all alone and unloved. A stray.

A tiny knot of guilt formed in my stomach, and I hated it.

"Inuyasha, move so I can wash off my arm," I said tiredly.

He shook his head. "I want to help you."

"WHY?"

He opened his mouth, closed it, and then said, "I don't fucking know, okay, wench?"

Sighing, I said, "Whatever."

I moved, reaching out to push him away… but instead he caught me, enclosing my left wrist in his larger hand.

"Inuyasha let go."

He ignored me, turning on the faucet and gently bringing my arm over the sink to place my wound under the running water. Wordlessly grabbing the soap, he rubbed it in his palms before delicately cleaning the small gashes his claws had made in my skin.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked. I'd given up fighting; I would lose. His palms felt strange on my skin, washing off the blood with a tenderness I hadn't thought he had.

"It's my fault, I have to fix it," he muttered, not looking away from his hands on my arm under the water.

He grabbed a towel and wiped away any remaining blood on my skin. Now my arm was clean, looking untouched except for five distinct claw marks on my upper arm. "This'd better not need stitches," I muttered.

He didn't reply to that. Instead he removed my arm from the water, turning off the faucet and examining the wound. He held my arm out between us, using one of his hands to support it gently at the elbow, running his fingers along my skin to find any other nicks or cuts he might have missed. To say this made me feel odd would be… well, not a lie. But to say that his gentleness didn't surprise and comfort me just a tiny bit _would _be a lie.

Stretching my arm out in front of him, he examined the wounds as if trying to remember when he might have inflicted them and how he couldn't have noticed it.

"Where are Rin and Sango and Miroku?" I asked quietly.

"Probably back in the den," he said. "They'd say it's cause they want to give us "alone time" and _me _time to… uh…"

"Apologize, maybe?" I asked wryly.

He glared at me. "Shut it, wench."

"I might, if only I could shut the gaping holes in my arm."

That shut him up.

He grabbed the hydrogen peroxide bottle and I winced, staring at it in apprehension. "Is that really necessary?"

"I'd happily leave it for infection if that's what ya want."

But that was moot, because he knew perfectly well it wasn't what I wanted, and _I _knew perfectly well that he wouldn't leave it for infection.

I gritted my teeth, hissing as he poured the liquid on each of my wounds. He winced as I winced, and finally muttered almost unintelligibly, "Sorry."

I bit my lip, feeling tears well up in my eyes.

But then he did something that surprised me: he took my right hand in his and squeezed it.

"Just squeeze my fingers if you need to, okay?" he muttered. "You're not gonna break them, don't worry."

I wasn't worrying… but his offer touched me.

I nodded. "What are you going to do?" I asked warily.

To my surprise, a light pink blush decorated his face and he looked away. "Keh," he muttered. "This is stupid."

"What's stupid?"

Grimacing, Inuyasha admitted, "Half demon saliva heals stuff, okay?"

Oh.

I matched his expression. "Eww."

"Not like I like it either," Inuyasha growled.

"So what are you going to do?" I asked skeptically. "Lick me?"

"Keh, no," he muttered. But then he grinned. "Unless you want me to, wench."

Disgusting. Idiot.

"Just do whatever you have to," I muttered, closing my eyes.

That's right, Kagome. Indifference is the key. It doesn't matter that he hurt you, it doesn't matter that he's helping you, it doesn't matter that he's holding your hand.

Don't let him get to you.

"Might sting a little."

"Can't be worse than hydrogen peroxide."

I heard him spit on his fingers, and then he hesitantly touched one of the cuts and I stiffened as if burned.

That hurt.

The breath left my lungs and I squeezed his hand so hard I felt sure I would snap his bones. But he didn't give the slightest indication of pain… and soon, the pain on my arm faded.

He repeated the process with each cut, and with each one the burning sensation decreased faster than the last until finally it all vanished… the burning, the stinging, the pain, the soreness. All of it.

"You can open your eyes now, you know," he teased.

Blushing a little, I lifted my lids to inspect my arm… and was surprised by what I saw, for the cuts were now clean and looked to be about a day old, rather than minutes.

"Um… thanks," I said reluctantly.

"No problem." Inuyasha grabbed a bandage and this time I held my arm out obediently while he wrapped it around the wound. But something outside the window attracted his attention and he glared. "Those jackasses."

Groaning, I muttered, "They aren't…"

"Yeah, they are."

Oh god. Really, guys?

I glared out the window, trying to spot a tuft of Rin's hair or the tops of Sango's or Miroku's heads. But since I couldn't see hide nor tail of them, I assumed Inuyasha's tip-off was their scent.

Mental note: don't try to sneak up on a hanyou.

Inuyasha finished tying the bandage around my wound and held my arm gently for a moment before seeming to decide he'd done a satisfactory job. And I have to admit… he'd done better than I probably would have.

Inuyasha and I opened our mouths at the same time.

"I'm sorry—"

"Thank you—"

"Keh, you don't have to," Inuyasha muttered.

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? Fine. Then I won't."

That got to him.

Softening a little, remembering that he had even said he was sorry—the second time he'd said something to me which apparently he never said to anyone else, I noticed—I felt a twinge of guilt. "Thank you, Inuyasha," I said, squeezing his hand gently in mine to show him that he was forgiven. "For healing me and for apologizing." I shifted uncomfortably, and added a bit reluctantly, "And… I'm sorry for hitting you."

To my surprise, a light blush decorated Inuyasha's cheeks. I realized too late that I was blushing too… and for a brief moment, we were silent.

But then he went and ruined it by brushing my hand away with a, "Keh."

Is he _paid _to be intolerable?

But whether because I wanted to try to make up with him or because I just wanted to prove my COMPLETE SUPERIORITY when it comes to maturity, I said kindly (if not a little teasingly), "I forgive you for that, too. I understand that sometimes you aren't responsible for your words and have difficulty making whole sentences." Inuyasha growled at that, and I continued more seriously, "And sometimes you're not responsible for your actions. I know that that was your demon that made you hurt me. I know that you have a temper. And I know you wouldn't do that to me if you were aware of what you're doing. So… are we cool, then? I mean as cool as before?"

"As cool as before?"

I rolled my eyes impatiently. "Yes, stupid. As cool as before. Put even _more _simply… we can't stand each other. We drive each other to wit's end. But… I don't think we hate each other."

That made him grin. "Keh. Sure, wench. That's what you think."

"Shut up, Inuyasha."

But for some reason, we both grinned… and the silence was unusually comfortable.

No. That's not the word. The word is _friendly._

The realization that, for the first time since we had met each other, we were actually feeling comfortable in each other's presence hit us with varying degrees. I don't know what he felt, but me… it felt strange, foreign even. Very honestly… I felt weird not yelling at him for something.

But it was a good weird, and suddenly an even more unnerving thought hit me: if this feeling continued… maybe I wouldn't mind so much.

Glancing at Inuyasha's face, I saw that his eyebrows were very slightly furrowed, but other than that, his face looked peaceful. Maybe he felt as I did? Was there that chance?

Taking a deep breath, I said something that I was already preparing to regret before the words left my mouth.

"Maybe… we could forget about it."

For a moment Inuyasha didn't even react, and when he did, I wasn't even sure if he'd heard what I said. "What?" he asked, staring at me blankly.

I fidgeted a little, fully aware of how foolish I would look if he didn't agree. "Maybe… I was thinking that…"

Inuyasha grinned. "Yeah, wench? You were thinking?"

I rolled my eyes, preparing to retort… but then I noticed something in his tone, something new, something which had never been there when he had spoken to me before. And I began to think that maybe, _maybe_, this little thing meant that right now he didn't mean to hurt my feelings. Just to tease… like friends.

That's what gave me the courage to straighten up and speak.

"Let's forget about before," I suddenly said, spurred on by my newfound courage. "Let's just… be friends."

_Friends._

I remembered almost everything Inuyasha had ever said to me… the mean things, the kind things, the strange things… everything. But most of all, I remembered what I had felt, the things I had thought… and it was these memories, the ones of how deeply I had thought I loathed him, that made our situation now, and what I had just said, almost as comical as it was terrifying.

Why terrifying, you ask?

Because I have just given Inuyasha Takahashi the power to hurt me worse than ever before.

It was that fear which kept me very, very silent while I waited for his response. That was what caused me to bite my lower lip and force myself to meet his eyes. That was why when at first he just stared at me, seeming to think it over, I felt an icy wave of dread spread through my body from the pit of my stomach.

But it was also why when he finally _did _speak, I broke into a happy, if rather annoyed, grin.

"Hmm…" he put a clawed finger on his chin, taking an exaggeratedly long time to consider my proposal. "Friends…" he chewed on the word, and then eyed me, grinning widely, "With you…."

"Answer or risk my wrath, Takahashi," I growled… but although it was definitely an _annoyed growl, _it wasn't exactly a mean growl. For some reason, I didn't feel ready to jump on him and rip him to shreds like I usually do. It was a teasing growl, with that same unidentified _something _in it which I had heard in Inuyasha's words.

"Well… I could think about it, wench…" he mused. "My friends list is kinda booked up…"

"I'm not saying mine isn't," I retorted.

He grinned. "Sure."

"Sure, _what?_"

"Figure it out for yourself," he said, smirking.

I was beginning to lose patience. "Look," I said. "Are we friends or not?"

If not… well, fine. It was just back to where we were before, I guess. Except it wouldn't be the same. It would be different… because I would remember this: that I gave him the chance to start over, and _myself _the chance to start over… that I put it entirely in his control… and he swatted it away like a fly.

I wouldn't forget it, and it would change my opinion of him forever.

But then Inuyasha did something which surprised me. He laughed, and what struck me about the laugh was that, even though it mocked me, it wasn't a spiteful laugh. It was a… a… _friendly _laugh.

There it was again: that word, which just this morning I would never have imagined applying to Inuyasha.

And then he said, grinning even wider, "You're not too smart, are you, wench?"

No, _you _just love annoying me.

Inuyasha's golden eyes smirked at me, but they weren't angry. _He _wasn't angry, and neither was I. We were teasing, we were mocking, and I had a feeling that we would be driving each other insane regardless of what we were, but we weren't enemies.

And although he isn't saying it, I know I have the answer to my question.

Rin, Sango, and Miroku, came into the kitchen just a few minutes later. I wasn't sure whether they had picked up on our exchange, on our silent agreement, but I had a feeling that they didn't need to have heard our words to sense the change in atmosphere between us. Even I don't completely understand it, but somehow, in the course of all this insanity, Inuyasha and I have become… friends.

Does that mean we don't tease each other? Taunt each other? Mock each other? Heck no; that'd just be disturbing.

After affirming that my arm was okay and making slight inquires about the change between me and Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku invited themselves and Inuyasha to stay for lunch, TV, and an unusually aggressive video game competition. Inuyasha and Sango, the finalists, battled valiantly (and very obsessively) in the last rounds for about an hour before we got bored and kicked them off. They left about an hour later, Sango and Miroku with a wave and Inuyasha with his customary smirk and, "See ya later, wench."

Annoying guy.

But once they had drove down the street, I smiled to myself. That was all he was now. Just annoying—not mean. Not hurtful. Tactless? Sure. A jerk? Probably. But not mean. Not anymore.

Hopefully not ever again.

"So… what happened with you and Inuyasha? Is that what's got you all smiley?" Rin teased, jumping limberly over the back of the couch to sit next to me.

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up," I said, playfully smacking her on the arm.

"Not until you tell me what happened."

Raising an eyebrow, I said, "I'd think you would know, seeing as you and Sango and Miroku were _spying _on us."

Rin blushed slightly, biting her lip to keep from smiling. "Well, we couldn't hear what you were saying," she said, obviously choosing to defend herself rather than deny it.

I laughed at her words. "Yeah, that makes it okay."

Rin pouted, widening her eyes cutely and making her lips tremble—she is the only sixteen year old I know who can still make an effective lost puppy face. "I d-didn't think th-that it would h-hurt your f-feelings," she whispered.

If she had been talking to anyone else, they probably would have taken those huge, shining eyes seriously. But not me. Instead I grinned, rolling my eyes. "Rin, are you on drugs or something? You do realize that that doesn't work on me, right?"

And just like that, _SNAP! _her expression changed. She laughed, shaking her hair out of her face and smiling brightly. "No. I'm high on happiness; having friends is awesome."

The change of subject surprised me, and it took awhile for me to decide whether she was talking about me and Inuyasha or her. "You had friends in Okinawa," I reminded her.

"Not like Sango and Miroku," she said. "Even Inuyasha is a friend."

I rolled my eyes. "How long have you been certain that we would become… _friends_, Rin?" I still had trouble pronouncing the word. "I want an honest answer."

Smiling mischievously, Rin admitted, "Pretty much since we first met him."

That got me. Knowing Rin, I had figured that she had known from the start… but I hadn't known that _that _would be her idea of "the start."

"B-but," I spluttered, "We just knew each other off the street then!"

Even Rin isn't that good.

She smiled. "Yeah, but… I don't know. I just had this feeling about him."

My eyebrows went up, and I stared at her.

I take it back: Rin _is _that good.

"Stop staring at me like I'm a superhuman or something," she complained, giggling.

"For all we know, you are," I muttered.

I wouldn't be surprised.

I leaned forward over the table to start doing my homework again—it was the afternoon now, and I wanted to start working again. But Rin's next words distracted me.

"I'm just so glad you guys aren't pretending to hate each other anymore. That was tiring to put up with. But now that you're friends, it's only a matter of time!"

Slowly putting down my pencil, I turned my head towards her and inquired curiously, "Only a matter of time till what?"

Rin grinned widely… her mood swings continue to unnerve me. "Till you're engaged and married and have little kids with dog-ears, of course!" she squealed, clapping her hands in excitement and having the common sense to run away from me very, very quickly.

"Eergh!" I groaned loudly. "You, Sango, probably Miroku too… you're all onboard with this, huh?"

Rin shrugged. "It's inevitable," she said, as if it were the most obvious, simple thing in the world.

Sighing, I tried to explain to her, "Inuyasha and I have just gotten on friendly speaking terms, and who knows if that'll last. And just because we're… well, friends, doesn't mean we're in love."

"Not necessarily," Rin agreed. "But in your case: it does. Or at least, you will be."

And so to placate her, I rolled my eyes, grinning to myself, and said, "I guess we'll have to see, won't we?"

Just the idea that Inuyasha and I are friends is mind-boggling, and she's already thinking about _kids?!_

As I was brooding over this, Rin commented, "You could do worse, you know. I mean, he can be really sweet."

"Do you like him or something?" I asked offhandedly, even though I knew fully well that she didn't. And I had to wonder… if I hadn't known so well that the answer was no, would I have been able to ask the question so casually?

Rin shook her head. "Not that way. But he's still sweet."

I rolled my eyes. Right now, I classified Inuyasha more as _annoying _ in a kind of friendly way… and okay, _maybe _a LITTLE SOMEWHAT good-looking. But looks aren't everything, and I definitely wouldn't call him _sweet._

"How do you pull that one out of your crazy little brain?"

Rin giggled. "Go find your baby doll, and you'll see exhibit A."

Standing up, sure that whatever explanation Rin could find in a fake baby was sure to be amusing, I ventured over to the soft chair where I had left the doll—and realized that it was completely unoccupied.

WHERE WAS THE BABY?!

I felt my breathing quickening, my heart rate accelerating, my muscles tensing… and, finally, my mouth curling upwards in a real smile.

All right, maybe it was a little sweet of him. It was only the right thing to do, and I shouldn't have been impressed, but I was. Both because he had done it—THE RIGHT THING!—and because he hadn't flaunted it in my face.

Would I have even noticed the baby's absence if Rin hadn't told me?

Suddenly I felt guilty. Maybe I wouldn't have noticed at all. What kind of a parent would that make me? Forgetting about your kid for a whole weekend is probably considered poor parenting in most societies… even if that kid is made of plastic. But Inuyasha hadn't forgotten; did that make him a better dad than I was a mom?

No, no of course not. How could _he _ever be better than _me? _Did I lose too much blood or something? Did I actuallyget brain damage when my head got slammed against the wall? Am I hallucinating right now, this whole thing…?

I hope I'm not hallucinating. And if I am, I hope I get to see Inuyasha again before I wake up, because I'd feel bad if I didn't thank him.

After all… that's what friends do.

**A/N: Hey! I hope you liked it! I know this one will make some of you happy :). Sadly, this is the last chapter I'm posting till I get back from vacation in like a week and a half. But don't worry… there'll be a new chapter up once I return, as long as I'm still alive! :D You guys do your part and review! I love you all! Thank you so much for your support, and I'll see you again in a little bit! REVIEW!!!!**


	31. Figure It Out

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: I am so sorry this came late! Stuff came up, school trip… etcetera, etcetera, I know it's no excuse, but still. Anyway, I'm so happy to be back! I missed you guys so much! Here it is, I hope you like it—I wrote Inuyasha's take on some of the last events, cause someone asked me for an Inuyasha POV. It's a long one. Here you go, read and review!**

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: FIGURE IT OUT

INUYASHA

_IN THE DEN_

Her voice burned in my skull like some twisted combination of cyanide and fire put together. If there even is something as damn painful as that. But who the hell cares what I'm gonna compare it to? We're not in some stupid English class. The point is, it fucking _hurt. _

Or maybe they were my own goddamn words, searing pain through my own fucking goddamn skull?! I couldn't tell anymore. The only thing I knew was that she had yelled at me… and I had yelled at her… and she had went still… and I had grabbed her arms to knock some damn _sense _into the little naïve idiot… and then she had stiffened.

Like a corpse. And the idea chilled me.

I felt something on my claws, could have sworn I saw something trickling down her arm, but my vision was so obscured by this annoying red field that I could hardly see anything anyway.

"Inuyasha…"

Kagome. That was Kagome's voice. And the thing that scared me about it was that she wasn't even yelling.

The red got the hell out of my vision as fast as it good—good for it, too, cause otherwise I would've tracked it down and beat it up. It was getting on my nerves.

But just as soon as it was gone… I wished it was back.

Because now I could see what I had felt on my claws… what now trickled down her bare left arm, which my hand was clamped on like a vice.

My claws. Digging into Kagome's skin.

_MY OWN CLAWS._

Suddenly, all the anger, all the annoyance, dissipated from my body. And with it… the blood drained from my face.

I had nowhere else to look. I _had _to look at her. And that was the worst part; that she gave me no choice.

There was nowhere to escape.

So I looked into her eyes… deep brown, like dark chocolate. Shit, I love dark chocolate.

**You see? Even you admit it.**

_I "admitted" that I love dark chocolate, you asshole! Now get the hell OUT OF MY HEAD._

I don't have the fucking time for this!

Inuyasha.

_What?_

Even to me, my thoughts didn't sound like a yell. Not even like I was angry… just defeated.

You've really done it now, you idiot.

And I had nothing to say to that. You know how rare that is, that my human side calls me a damn idiot and _I CAN'T THINK OF A FUCKING COMEBACK?! _Well, it's rare. But not as rare as the overwhelming emotion that I felt.

Guilt. And it was even worse than back in the gym.

How could I have done that?

_Kagome… I… KAGOME…._

Her face spoke complete and total betrayal. Shock. But what did me in was the devastation in her eyes.

"Did I…?"

That little whisper was all I could do.

Asshole. Of course I did. Why the fuck am I asking her?! Like I hope she's going to say it's all a fucking misunderstanding?! That she scraped her arm against the wall, and really I'd just come over here to help her up—like a gentleman? Which so far I sure as hell haven't been, so why should I start now?

Nothing made sense. Not even the reality of it. The reality that, somehow… my demon must've taken control. That he'd hurt her.

That _I'd _hurt her.

But it WAS goddamn reality… and as much as I wished reality to fucking hell, I knew it wasn't going anywhere.

Maybe I would've dwelled on it for awhile longer. Few years, maybe? Decades? But I didn't get the chance… because suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted by an echoing slap.

Looks like somebody was mad after all.

It's not like it hurt. Hell, no. Actually… I had to admit that it was kind of cute that as much as she probably _wanted _to hurt me, she didn't seem to have the physical strength. And then I realized that I'd actually just _thought _that. Kagome? Cute? No fucking way.

But even as I denied it… I started feeling bad about it.

Now I'm feeling guilty about my goddamn thoughts. Great. It's all her fault, you know that? Before her… I never felt like this. I was sure. I was sure of EVERYTHING. And she had to come over here and wreck it all.

But it was impossible to feel mad at her when she was storming out of the den, tears in her eyes, blood trickling down her left arm.

Especially when it was all my fault.

"H-hey!" I stuttered. I resisted the urge to sneer at myself. What the hell was that? H-hey? I couldn't be so weak… no matter how weak I felt inside. "Wench, what the hell was that for?!"

If I'd expected a reaction… well, okay, fine. I hadn't expected a reaction. But I'd _hoped _for one… if even a turn of the head, a glare… I'd hoped for something.

Not the icy indifference I received as she left me behind.

The den was silent for about three seconds, during which Sango, Miroku, and Rin were completely silent. I'm not sure whether I preferred them to keep their damn mouths shut, or wished they'd yelled at me. But why should I care what they think?

Right now… I realized that in this instant, there was only one person on the whole fucking Earth who I cared what they thought of me.

And she happens to think I'm a psycho bastard.

_I can't do anything right, can I? _I thought in despair.

**No, you can't.**

I growled. Just like him to butt into my business. _Shut the fuck up! I wasn't asking for your opinion._

Well, maybe you NEED it.

_Not you too. _Stop, Inuyasha. Think… before you say something fucking stupid. _It's her damn fault, okay? Not mine! She brought it on herself, talking about stuff she shouldn't._

And THAT's a perfect example of one of those fucking stupid things I say (or think) without thinking… all the time.

"Kagome!"

That was Rin. Her hysteria hurt me.

_Nosing into my business…_

"Kagome!"

Sango and Miroku, now.

_Being a stupid, infuriating, annoying… impossible… cute… _

My blood ran cold. I mean zero degrees Celsius cold.

And it was then that I knew I couldn't wait for ANOTHER FUCKING SECOND.

"Kagome, wait!"

I chased after her… but maybe pulling her back wasn't the way to go. I'd surprise her, I'd corner her… I'd make her listen to me if I had to pin her against the wall and force my words down her throat.

Well. Preferably not that violently.

_Jackass._

I didn't spare Miroku, Sango, or Rin a second thought as I leaped through the open window of her house and into the kitchen. From what I could smell, she wasn't bleeding badly, but might need cleaning up. What did humans call that stuff? Hydrogen peroxide? Neosporin or something? And then… goddamnit… she'd probably need bandages too, wouldn't she?

Humans are so fucking FRAGILE.

Sniffing, I located the supplies in a matter of seconds and laid them out by the sink. That's a half-demon's sense of smell for you. But unfortunately… now that I was done… I had nothing to do but wait.

So I turned to face the sink and gripped it so hard that I was sure I would dent it.

Good. Just another thing she could blame me for.

What are you going to do?

_I don't know._

You'd better think of something.

**Just like a human, always voicing the obvious. Inuyasha, YOU ARE A DEMON. Or at least half of a demon. You've got me.**

I hissed with rage. _Yeah? YOU?! The one who fucking cut her arm up, you mean?!_

He was silent for a moment before saying, **I'm stronger than you. I could intimidate her into forgiveness if you want.**

_Your idea of forgiveness is fucked up._

The door opened. But rather than feeling a racing of the heart, a quickening of the breath, a sense of very near danger and fear and frustration like I thought I would… I felt empty.

Even as I turned around, I could barely look at her.

_Idiot. No wonder Kagome hates me._

"Get. Out."

Maybe she was trying to make her voice all icy and indifferent like that time awhile ago—I know it's been less than a week, but it sure as hell feels like years—but it trembled too much to sound cold.

It trembled with rage.

"Give me your arm," I muttered.

It wasn't a request. It was an order.

Though maybe I would have been able to speak with more authority if I knew _WHAT THE FUCK I WAS DOING._

She glared at me, tears sparkling in her eyes, clearly not going to cooperate.

"Don't be a moron," I muttered. Couldn't she see that I wanted to help?

Do better than that.

"Get out of my house," she snapped.

"Just let me—" I tried.

"No!"

I was very quiet. I couldn't even think.

_No_. Maybe it was then that I realized that word was all I would ever hear from her. Two sounds, two letters, one syllable. An endless rebuke.

Maybe it was then that I realized I couldn't deal with that.

"…Kagome…"

I almost cursed myself for my weakness. But then I saw her eyes… and realized that she was finally looking at me.

"What?" she choked out, looking utterly helpless, devastated, confused.

And I knew that my demon had been wrong. Strength wasn't the way to get to Kagome. In Kagome's case… I think strength only makes it worse.

Kagome needs sincerity. And that's why she hates me.

Cause I can probably count all the sincere things I've said in my life on the fingers of one fucking hand.

"I… I didn't mean to." My voice was nearly a whisper, and I ducked my head in shame. _Weak_, I thought, disgusted. _I'm weak_. "It was an accident."

She didn't even need to think about it to respond. "That doesn't make it okay."

_You think I don't fucking know that?! _"I know!" I snapped instinctively, glaring at her without thinking. But then I saw her eyes… sparkling again. My own eyes widened in chagrin. "Are you crying?"

"No," she sniffed, wiping away the tears.

Why do her tears have to bother me so much?

"Kagome, I…"

Her name. The thing that I have always refused to give to her… and now I've been saying it so naturally. It's like the only time I realize who she is is when she despises me most.

I'm a fucking idiot.

**You've never said a truer thing in your life.**

"I get it," she muttered, putting a visible effort into gathering up her composure. "Just get out of my house, Inuyasha. I don't want to deal with you right now."

A few days ago, her cold words… so burdened with detestation and desolation… might have hurt me. But even though they did, I knew that right now I had no time to be weak. Now was my only chance.

"Give me your arm," I ordered.

"You've got to be crazy."

"Or I'll take it," I threatened. Which was a little reckless… you can never be sure how Kagome'll react to threats, even ones that are supposed to be half-joking.

She didn't disappoint me. Kagome's eyes narrowed with bitterness. "What. So you can hurt me again?" she asked flatly.

I say she said it flatly, and that's cause she did. But what I didn't mention was the fact that even as she said it, her voice betrayed her.

"No, stupid," I growled. How could she even _think _something like that? It was like she thought I'd _enjoyed _hurting her. Why does she have to be so damn impossible?! "Just… will you trust me for one fucking second?"

The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. But, oh god, if you even do exist… I wished I'd stopped them the second Kagome laughed.

A bitter, bitter laugh.

"And what have you done to earn that trust, Inuyasha?"

She was right.

Why should she trust me? What reason have I given her to make her fucking _trust _me?! Nothing. Nothing at all.

And the thought… the thought that I'd done nothing since I'd met her except make her miserable… was enough to make my ears droop.

I've probably never felt more alone in my life.

"Inuyasha, move so I can wash off my arm," she said, voice exhausted.

She _did _sound tired… almost like she was tired… of… me?

Well, of course. Why the hell _wouldn't _she be tired of me?

But then I realized that that wasn't exactly right. She wasn't actually tired of ME… she was tired of fighting.

"I want to help you," I said adamantly, refusing to give up.

That was when Kagome lost her patience. "WHY?"

I opened my mouth to explain myself… and then realized that I couldn't.

Kagome's confusion was contagious.

She sure as hell was confused… confused, angry, upset… and maybe… maybe something else that I was a little afraid to think out loud? Fearing it might not be true?

I don't make friends with fear. I find it and beat it out of me. But right now I was too distracted by my pressing guilt and confusion to do any beating, and that was what made me break and say, "I don't fucking know, okay, wench?"

Surprisingly, Kagome sighed, almost seeming to lose interest. "Whatever."

She stepped forwards, towards the sink and towards me… except she tried to push me away.

And if I was gonna make up for my mistakes, I couldn't let her.

I caught her before she could shove me aside—did she really think she could push me away by force, _ME?_—and clamped down on her wrist. That got her attention.

"Inuyasha let go," Kagome said quickly.

The tinge of fear in her voice hurt me than her uncertainty soothed me.

I ignored her. The scent of her blood was tainting the air, and I didn't think I could take it for one more fucking second… both cause it stunk like hell, cause I knew it hurt her, and cause I knew it was all my fault.

It all came so naturally… no hesitancy, no awkwardness as I cleaned the cuts on her arm, employing as much gentleness as possible. Humans—even stubborn ones like Kagome—were fragile. Use the slightest amount of demon strength and they could break.

Too bad I hadn't been thinking about that back in the den.

"Why are you doing this?"

She wasn't afraid anymore—I clearly wasn't forgiven, but something I did obviously was making her calm down a little bit.

I'm an idiot for not knowing what that thing that I did _was_.

"It's my fault, I have to fix it," I muttered without looking away from the wounds… the wounds I'd inflicted.

I couldn't get that thought out of my head.

When her arm looked clean enough, I grabbed a towel and rubbed away any remaining blood, relieved when she didn't struggle. To my surprise, the usually annoying wench didn't object at all except to say, "This'd better not need stitches."

_Our thoughts are in sync, Wench._

I took her arm carefully in my hands… noticing in what must have been a crazed haze of guilt and frustration how smooth her skin was. Holding her by the elbow and the shoulder, trying to make sure she stood still and also trying to calm her, I ran my fingers along her arm, searching for nicks in her skin… injuries I might have missed.

Hell, I hoped I didn't find any.

I frowned at the cuts… clean now, but still, it looked like they might sting a little.

How could I have done that to her?

I realized suddenly that Kagome had gone quiet. She seemed… calm.

Ready to forgive, maybe? Hopefully without making me apologize?

I've got to be a new class of asshole for thinking that last part.

"Where are Rin and Sango and Miroku?" she finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Probably back in the den," I replied. "They'd say it's cause they want to give us "alone time" and _me _time to… uh…"

_Shit, don't say it…_

"Apologize, maybe?" she said wryly.

Of course.

"Shut it, wench."

"I might, if only I could shut the gaping holes in my arm."

The slight bitterness in her voice silenced me.

Grabbing the hydrogen peroxide with renewed anger, I held her arm out, preparing to pour it on her. Why the hell should I be so angry? It's MY FUCKING FAULT. No matter how I tried to avoid it… it was the truth.

"Is that really necessary?"

I had no patience for her quiet voice this time. "I'd happily leave it for infection if that's what ya want."

It was a moot point. And I knew she knew it.

Which she did, because she gritted her teeth… obviously permission for me to continue.

Her apprehension made me gentler as I poured the liquid on each one of her cuts. I grimaced when she hissed in pain. For some reason, her pain made me want to hiss too.

She was in pain because of me. I was _giving _her even MORE pain.

I'm supposed to hate this girl, right? Then why do I feel like such a pile of shit right now?

And then Kagome hissed again, her muscles tensing, leaning into me so slightly that she probably wasn't even aware of it. And I couldn't take it anymore.

Before I knew what I was saying… I choked out through a closing throat, "Sorry."

Second time.

But then another scent wafted through the air… a salty scent, coming from Kagome's face. I stared at her, only to find tears lingering in her eyes… her teeth sinking in her bottom lip….

I couldn't take this anymore. And only when Kagome looked up at me in open surprise did I realize that somehow, my hand had found its way around hers. Her fingers were slender in mine… her skin smooth and warm… her small hand peaceful, not repulsed, not being immediately retracted like I thought they would be.

The feeling… of holding her hand, of knowing she wasn't going to push me away… it wasn't so bad. Actually, I could even say it felt _good_.

And because she was crying and hurt… and because it was my fault… I decided that for now, I wouldn't let that little revelation scare me away. As twisted as it was… she almost seemed to need me by her side right now.

And you want to know what's even more twisted? Want to know something that should have set off warning alarms right now, that should have made me spit at her and push her away? Want to know something that should have made all that happen… but didn't?

Right then, holding her hand, I realized that as much as I did it for her sake… it was even more for mine.

I needed her… cause I felt so utterly lost.

But how could she comfort me when I was the one who fucking hurt her?! The least I could do, right now, was to find some way to help her… to try to make up for everything, or at least SHOW HER I _wanted _to make up for it… even though I couldn't.

What the hell could I do to help her?

And then I figured it out… unfortunately.

I glanced at Kagome. If I offered, what would she do? Laugh? Gag? Keh. It's for her sake… it'd be her fault if she had too much pride to let me help her!

I sighed. Somehow, I knew that this would go wrong.

"Just squeeze my fingers if you need to, okay?" I muttered. She probably _would _need to, and I grimaced at the thought. "You're not gonna break them, don't worry."

Not like she probably _was _worrying, but I thought I should say it anyway.

Kagome nodded and then asked somewhat suspiciously, "What are you going to do?"

Feeling heat rise to my cheeks, I grimaced and cursed silently. "Keh," I muttered. "This is stupid."

Stupid… doomed… embarrassing… I could go on and on.

"What's stupid?"

She just had to know, didn't she? Some people can walk into stuff blind, but NOOOOO, not Kagome Higurashi. She just has to know every single fucking detail about every single fucking thing she fucking does…

"Half demon saliva heals stuff, okay?"

There. I said it. Now I just had to wait for her reaction.

Kagome grimaced. "Eww."

"Not like I like it either," I retorted—even though she had every right to react like that. I mean, if you were a girl and a guy who you hate just proposed to spit on the cuts HE had inflicted, what would you do?

But then she did something I hadn't expected: inquired further.

"So what are you going to do?" she asked—not repulsed, but _skeptic. _SKEPTIC. "Lick me?"

Was she serious? "Keh, no," I said quickly. But then, unable to resist teasing her a little and worrying that I might regret it, I grinned and added. "Unless you want me to, wench."

Whatever thoughts she's thinking right now, I probably deserve it.

Tensing, I braced myself for whatever rebuke I would receive… but it didn't come. I gave her the perfect opportunity to yell her fucking mouth off of her face at me… and she didn't take it.

Whatever Kagome may be, she's not always as predictable as I sometimes tell myself.

The only thing she said before closing her eyes and holding a little tighter to my hand was a muttered, "Just do whatever you have to." And although that might have relieved me… it didn't. Cause for some reason, this time although the words were clear, I couldn't read her intent.

What was Kagome trying to do? Cause I sure as hell knew she wasn't just being complacent.

I narrowed my eyes. What was that wench thinking? "Might sting a little," I warned her.

"Can't be worse than hydrogen peroxide," she said dismissively.

Only the stiffening of the muscles in her neck—invisible to a human eye—alerted me to her fear.

I spit on my fingers, hoping that it wouldn't hurt so much, and pressed the saliva to the first wound.

Kagome's breath blew out of her body in a sharp gust… and it may as well have been made of a thousand tiny needles for the pain the sound of it caused me.

_I'm sorry, Kagome._

I'd almost never felt sorrier in my life.

Kagome's fingers tightened around my hand, and because she barely let out a sound, that was how I could tell how much it hurt her. Each time I removed my finger, her fingers would relax. Each time I touched her, her fingers would clamp on to mine like she was holding on for her life. The fact that her grip became gradually less desperately crushing with each time was little comfort.

I'm sorry, Kagome.

I'm so fucking sorry.

I waited for her to let go of my hand and open her eyes, to yell at me… but she didn't. Instead, she remained very motionless. Was she still in pain? She couldn't be, right?

No… she wasn't in pain. Actually, looking at her face, she looked… well, more content than I'd seen her in awhile. Which made me feel brave enough to tease her.

"You can open your eyes now, you know."

Kagome's eyelids snapped open and a light blush colored her cheeks. I was just glad as hell that she was too busy examining her arm to notice that a slight red tinge had appeared on mine, too.

"Um… thanks," she finally said.

"No problem," I replied. She hadn't really had to thank me, anyway. Though I definitely appreciated it.

I snatched up a bandage and wrapped it around her arm—this time, she didn't bother to resist. Beginning to worry that she might _start _resisting, I started hurrying up—and I would've finished, except for three new scents which drifted into the kitchen through the window.

"Those jackasses."

They were fucking low.

Kagome groaned audibly. "They aren't…"

"Yeah, they are."

I resisted the urge to add, _What the hell did you expect? _But I restrained my tongue and left it at that.

How could I not have noticed them before?

But since they weren't bursting in yet, and since Kagome was here in front of me with a half-bandaged arm… I decided that their doom could wait till later.

I made the final loop with the bandages, tied it, and then held her arm out. She lifted it willingly enough while I made sure the bandages were tight… which they were. Of course, seeing as I was the one who did the job.

But I almost wished they weren't right… I almost wished I had to take them off and do them all over again. Cause now that I was done, there was nothing left to do… except….

Shit.

But she deserved it. So I decided to say it; the muttered, almost unintelligible "sorry" I'd given her before wasn't enough. Not like this was… but it was more, anyway.

I was sorrier than I could tell her in any amount of words. I was sorrier than I could ever tell or show her… with anything.

But all I could do was say it… so I did.

"I'm sorry—" I tried to say, while she at the same time said, "Thank you—"

She was thanking me?

"Keh, you don't have to."

Kagome raised an eyebrow and I instantly regretted letting her off. She'd thanked me. She'd _thanked _me… and I'd told her she didn't have to thank me. And even though that's true… I realized that it might not sound like how I meant it.

It might sound like I just didn't care.

"Really?" Kagome asked coolly. "Fine. Then I won't."

Her words pierced me deeper than I could remember being pierced in a long time. And I'm not really even sure _why_.

I wished… that… I don't know. I don't know what I wished for. But hell, it was _something_… and whatever the hell it was, I wished for it like mad.

I was so sorry, for everything. _Kagome… I… I'm sorry. Kagome, why can't we just start over?_

It took a little while to realize that I'd only thought the words. And when it hit me that I hadn't actually said them… that I _couldn't _say them… I felt like dying.

**YOU WOULD DESERVE IT.**

_Fuck off._

What would Kagome do now? Throw my hand away and kick me out of the house? Prove once and for all that there was no hope for us, that we would forever be enemies, that she would hate me for the rest of our fucking lives and there was NO GODDAMN THING I COULD DO ABOUT IT?

But she didn't do any of that. Instead, she squeezed my hand… but this time she wasn't seeking comfort.

She was comforting ME.

"Thank you, Inuyasha," she said softly, eyes warmer. "For healing me and for apologizing." I opened my mouth to say something else, but suddenly she looked uncomfortable and I realized it was because she wasn't finished. Finally she grimaced and added somewhat reluctantly, "And… I'm sorry for hitting you."

_"And… I'm sorry for hitting you."_

Who knew six words could have such a fucking drastic effect on me?

Something about the way she said it… about the way she grimaced, about the way her cheeks reddened, about the way the words sounded almost sulky yet in a strangely adorable way—yeah, fine, I admit it, it was cute—made me go completely still.

**You like her.**

My eyes widened. _K-keh. You don't know what you're talking about. _

Not usually… but in this case, he's dead right. 

_You assholes… why can't you mind your own business?_

Yes, FOR GOD'S SAKE, go find some other fucking moron to annoy!

**But you're more fun to annoy than some other fucking moron.**

We're just trying to help you!

**When it comes to half demons to annoy, we got pretty lucky we ended up a part of YOU.**

Well, I wouldn't have minded someone a little less STUPID.

_I'm not stupid!_

**Then why can't you see that you like Kagome?!**

I grimaced. Is this the only reason these idiots ever talk to me? When they see a… a….

**Future mating prospect?**

_Shut the fuck up._

Moron.

I glanced at Kagome, who was now glancing shyly at me. I'd just recently realized that I didn't fucking HATE the girl, and now these guys thought I… what… _loved _her?

I'm not sure what I feel for Kagome. But whatever it is… it's sure as hell not love.

Well of course not. Love needs time to build. It'll happen.

How can they be so fucking sure of themselves all the time?

Kagome and I locked eyes… and I had to admit to myself that no matter what my feelings about her were… she was pretty.

But that doesn't mean I LOVE her!

The open, almost awed look in those chocolate-colored orbs made me stare even more… and suddenly I realized that we were both blushing. And somehow, in that haze of confusion and annoyance and guilt and contentment, the thought crossed my mind that Kagome was beautiful.

That was what made me realize our little silent exchange had gone too far.

"Keh," I muttered, brushing her hand away callously and regretting it instantly. My hand felt almost empty without hers in it… and for the briefest moment, a flicker of hurt flashed through her eyes.

Shit, I'm an idiot.

**And also a coward.**

Stop running away from your feelings, Inuyasha. For once—just once—won't you try listening to them?

Listen to my feelings?

But what _are _my feelings?

Kagome spoke, distracting me, because her tone was teasing—not angry. "I forgive you for that, too. I understand that sometimes you aren't responsible for your words and have difficulty making whole sentences."

I growled at that cause I knew she'd expect me to… but really, I was too busy wondering why she wasn't mad to be annoyed.

Kagome's eyes darkened and I knew she was going to be more serious now. "And sometimes you're not responsible for your actions. I know that that was your demon that made you hurt me. I know that you have a temper. And I know you wouldn't do that to me if you were aware of what you're doing. So… are we cool, then? I mean as cool as before?"

Whoa.

I don't know what I'd been expecting from her, but it sure as hell wasn't that.

I blinked. This was all coming on really fast. "As cool as before?"

Kagome rolled her eyes with obvious impatience. "Yes, stupid." Who is she to call ME stupid? I fucking drove my claws into her skin, and she wants to… to… forgive me? SHE is the stupid one. Kagome continued, unaware of my thoughts, "As cool as before. Put even _more _simply… we can't stand each other. We drive each other to wit's end. But… I don't think we hate each other."

_We can't stand each other._

Damn right.

_We drive each other to wit's end._

Always.

_But… I don't think we hate each other._

I grinned at that… both because she'd been funny, and because I didn't dare reveal exactly how much that last line meant to me.

"Keh. Sure, wench. That's what you think," I teased.

_Thank you, Kagome. Shit, thank you._

"Shut up, Inuyasha," she retorted.

But we didn't punctuate the silence with glares of death. Instead… we grinned.

And I realized that it not only felt comfortable… it felt good.

FRIENDLY. Which up till now was a fucking foreign concept when pertaining to Kagome.

Friendly.

_FRIENDLY._

It was all I could do not to let my mouth fall open like a dope.

She… I… we… I didn't understand my feelings, and that really worried me. But for some reason… I had this feeling that whatever my feelings happened to be… they were good.

All I could concentrate on was the realization that, somehow, we weren't fighting. And from the strange tranquility which rose around me… I realized that I must've been more tired of fighting with her than I'd realized.

But now we weren't fighting. I wasn't sneering, she wasn't yelling, I wasn't swearing… she wasn't crying.

It was around now that I realized that this new peace… was because of her. _Kagome _had been the one to… well… take the initiative, I guess. It's the best way I could think of to describe it, cause I'm not really the most elegant speaker. And if you haven't guessed THAT by now, you're a real dope.

You may not be an elegant speaker, but you can think quite eloquently.

Something was very, very wrong with that statement.

_Whoa. Is something wrong with your brain, or is that sarcasm?_

It is NOT sarcasm, and my brain is no more wrong than yours. I just felt I should let you know… because any eloquence you possess in your thoughts is mostly MY part of you, and you should be more grateful.

_Shut the fuck up._

I had a feeling that in my head, my human had said that my cursing was because of my demon, and my demon had cursed at the human and said that wasn't true, and then they started arguing… but I wasn't paying attention to them.

Every bit of my focus was on a new revelation which had just begun to surface.

How long had Kagome been tired of fighting?

If she'd been the one to let this feel… well… casual, friendly, take your pick… and obviously if it had been me, I would've let the war go on for fucking ever… then… then… maybe she had wanted to feel like this for awhile.

Maybe… it really was because of me that things had been the way they were?

**Congratulations, Inuyasha. You have just had an epiphany. **

_Yeah. And it sure as hell doesn't feel great._

I stared at Kagome… all her words to me flashed to mind, her shouting, her insults… her retorts. Most of them were because of something I said first… or because of grudges she had every right to keep.

And then my words flashed to mind… and when looked at in this new light, it was all I could do not to cringe.

It was then that I realized I must have drastically misunderstood her. Because… when you think about it… regardless of whatever I _felt_, hadn't she SAID, "As cool as before?"?

Of course. How could she ever just forget everything I'd said and done to her?

She wouldn't. Not Kagome. And I knew that even if she did… I wouldn't deserve it for a second. So when she opened her mouth to speak, I sighed, waiting for whatever it would be, and knowing that I would snap back a retort… knowing that this would probably go on forever, regardless of how much it hurt and exhausted both of us.

Knowing that it was all my fucking fault.

"Maybe… we could forget about it."

Knowing it was perpetual. Knowing I hurt her… knowing she wanted to stop but couldn't bring herself to say the words….

Wait. Wait, wait, wait, _wait._

I think the speed of sound must've slowed down a fucking lot, cause it had taken me a long time to process her words.

Had she just said what I'd thought I heard?

"What?" I asked blankly, staring at her.

"_Maybe… we could forget about it."_

I had to have heard her wrong.

But Kagome didn't scorn my vacant confusion. Instead, to my shock, she fidgeted with visible nervousness. Finally she said, almost as if she was regretting her words already, "Maybe… I was thinking that…"

I couldn't believe it. I couldn't fucking believe it.

Maybe I'm wrong… but I think she'd said what I thought she'd said.

Now I had to wonder if it meant what I thought it meant.

I grinned and decided to tease her… after all, I had appearances to keep up. "Yeah, wench? You were thinking?"

Kagome rolled her eyes opened her mouth to spit out a retort, and I wondered if she'd taken my words the wrong way. But then, suddenly… she stopped and said something else.

"Let's forget about before," she suddenly said, with new courage from some source I couldn't identify. "Let's just… be friends."

I couldn't believe it.

"_Let's just… be friends."_

She wanted to… to… to be friends? As in, not at-each-others'-throats-pretending-to-hate-each-other, but… friends like Miroku and Sango and Rin? I hadn't actually had much to do with Rin, but I knew she and Kagome were close.

Kagome wanted to include me in their ranks?

ME?

**Yes, stupid. Now this is your perfect opportunity, so do not blow it. **

Now here was the question… did I want to be friends with her?

If you really need to ask yourself that question, you are even stupider than I thought.

For once, my human was right.

"Hmm…" Pretending to think it over when really my decision was set in stone, I put a finger on my chin like you see those stupid detectives do in movies—the ones played by bad actors. "Friends…" I found myself tasting the word. And then, finally, I added the last part… the one that was most important, and the one that I couldn't let Kagome REALIZE was so important: "With you…."

I knew I'd succeeded when she growled, "Answer or risk my wrath, Takahashi."

But here's the thing… she was definitely annoyed. Hell, that was for sure. But even though she was annoyed, I didn't think she was really _mad._

"Well… I could think about it, wench…" I said. "My friends list is kinda booked up…" I added that cause no matter how good friends we are, the fact that we get on each other's nerves occasionally will never change—if it did, that'd just be fucked up.

"I'm not saying mine isn't," she retorted.

Well, obviously it isn't TOO booked up, seeing as you were the one who asked.

And now I've got to answer.

So I grinned and said in that annoying way I have, "Sure."

Sure. SURE!

**I think it's pretty good. Very hard to get.**

_This is friendship, not DATING. I'm not playing fucking hard to get, okay?_

"Sure, _what?_" Kagome pressed, a little irritated.

I smirked. "Figure it out for yourself."

Kagome glared at me. "Look. Are we friends or not?"

She was tired of waiting and wanted an answer… and I had to laugh at that idea, because it appeared that, somehow, she hadn't figured my answer _out._

I grinned. "You're not too smart, are you, wench?"

Initially, she glared. I mean, what else would she do? Just because my taunt was fully justified—regardless of her real intelligence, she definitely hadn't been acting so smart now—it didn't mean it didn't annoy her.

But then she stopped glaring.

Kagome frowned at me… and I don't know if she noticed… but the sides of her mouth quirked upward in the tiniest of smiles. The frown disappeared, her body lost its annoyance and tension… and her eyes warmed until they were almost glowing.

I knew that she had her answer.

Miroku, Sango, and Rin walked into the kitchen. I knew they couldn't have heard much of what we'd said, but they definitely picked up on the new atmosphere between us.

**Even an idiot like YOU could sense this kind of change.**

I definitely sensed it now.

Because how could I miss it? Fuck, it was almost monumental.

Just this morning, Kagome slammed her front door in my face. Just this afternoon, less than a half hour ago… I hurt her. And now… somehow… almost impossibly… we're… friends.

Miroku voiced one of the main things I was feeling. "Maybe I've misunderstood, but it almost seems as if you two have managed a truce. Perhaps this is just the tranquility after the tempest?"

I couldn't have put it better myself.

I glared at him. "Shut up, idiot."

Glancing at Kagome to see if she would tell me not to be rude… I saw that she was smiling.

Somehow, it made me smile too.

Sango frowned at us and then shook her head, and the three of them moved to Kagome to make sure she was alright. The old wave of guilt hit me then… but Kagome didn't say a word about my involvement in the injury, even though Sango, Rin, and Miroku had all been their to see it happen. She just said that I had fixed it, and that it felt fine and they didn't have to worry. And I don't think they were worrying after that. I think that even if Kagome's arm had been visibly twisted up… they couldn't have been worrying that she was in pain.

How could they, when she looked so peaceful?

Sango and Miroku seemed more curious about the change between me and Kagome than worried about Kagome's arm. But they didn't say anything more about that. What surprised me, though, was Rin, Kagome's sister. Because she seemed to accept our silent truce without so much as blinking, let alone speaking.

I swear, that kid is a little creepy.

Miroku and Sango, as they tend to do, invited themselves and me over to stay with Kagome and Rin for lunch. Kagome didn't seem to mind, so we did. After lunch we watched TV for awhile—some boring show I was too busy thinking to pay any attention to—and then finally played video games. Me and Sango were the last two in the competition, and I would've beat her, except our company kicked us off. But for once… for once, I didn't care.

I think that's a first.

Miroku, Sango, and I left a little while later. I smirked at Kagome said, "See ya later, wench," and then shut the door behind me without waiting for her reply.

That was what I had to do.

I was glad that I lived in a different direction than Sango and Miroku—both cause the walk home gave them some time alone, and because it gave me time to think. To think about my new friendship with Kagome… to think about the fact that I'd actually admitted to myself that she was beautiful… and finally, to think about the fact that I'd condemned myself to a weekend with the piece of plastic I had hidden from Kagome as I stepped out of the door.

If you've got an answer, then tell me: what the hell possessed me to take the damn baby?

What had I been thinking at the time, when I saw the plastic demon infant sitting on that chair? What had made me take it? _Why _would I have taken it, when she owed me two days anyway?

It took me awhile to figure it out… but then, I knew.

"Hey, kid."

As expected, the baby didn't respond. But I kept talking anyway.

"Your mom's okay, you know that?"

Of course it doesn't know that. It's a fucking doll.

But for the purposes of this project… for Kagome's and my sakes, cause I have a feeling if I don't start taking the project more seriously she's gonna find a blade and slice me (and our friendship, cause homicide tends to ruin stuff like friendships) into tiny little pieces… I'll pretend it's a baby.

I'd just condemned myself to spending tonight and the next day with the brat crying in my ear. I'd just ruined my weekend.

But even I'm not stupid enough to have to wonder why I was smiling.

**A/N: Wow. Longest yet, maybe? Anyway, I hope the ending wasn't too cliché, and I hope you liked it! Please review! And guys—thank you SO MUCH for your reviews! To the people who reviewed: xXthenextbookwormXx, daichilover, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, I am the Wind Mizuki Kay, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, k, Tomatosoup Inc., beautiful-surreal, ai, mika, inuyasha&kagome4eva, LunaP, xXTheAnimeAddictionXx, lil mama, SuperHarryPotterNerd, and listen! Next chapter will be up in four days max—review and it'll be faster! I'm hoping for eight reviews or more! PLEASE REVIEW! I love you all, see you later!**


	32. Some Day

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's an early update for you, cause I felt bad about making you wait so long for the last chapter! Which, by the way, I am so happy you guys liked! Anyway, this chapter is for those of you who wanted a little more Sango x Miroku. Here you go, read and review! :D**

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: SOME DAY

SANGO AND MIROKU

"So… why do you think Inuyasha isn't being an ass to Kagome anymore?" Sango asked… which happened to be the question she'd been dying to have answered ever since she'd noticed the change.

"He _is _a half demon," Miroku replied, glancing over his shoulder at the street down which Inuyasha had just disappeared. "He may well be able to hear you, my dear."

"I know that," Sango growled, shooting a glare down the same street.

Smirking, Miroku said, "I know you do."

They walked for a little bit before Sango looked at him. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know," he replied innocently. "Where are you going?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Where do you think I'm going?"

Miroku smiled widely. _Either something happened to his brains back in the den, _Sango thought, _or he's about to grab my butt._

But he didn't; so she smiled back.

"Well, I really have no idea," Miroku said serenely. "But I suppose I'll soon find out."

Sango stopped walking and stared at him. "Are you _stalking _me?"

"Of course not," he said, pretending to be affronted. "I am merely providing an escort for a lovely lady such as yourself. I would never be so negligent as to let you walk home all by yourself."

Sango laughed, walking again. "First off, I'm not by myself. I've got my fists and my Hiraikotsu with me, and I'll beat the shit out of anyone who tries to take advantage of me; including you," she added menacingly. Miroku grinned. Rolling her eyes, Sango said, "And second, you haven't walked me home in ages."

He faced her. "Is the change unwelcome?"

Sango would have said something sarcastic, but the sincerity in his face caught her off guard so she said quietly, "No." A light rosy tinge appeared on her cheeks.

_Damn it… I hate blushing._

Not about to admit that he had spent nearly all of the previous afternoon discussing romantic strategy with a not very helpful Inuyasha, Miroku simply smiled and said, "Good."

"So are you going to answer the question?"

Frowning in confusion, he asked, "Which question, my dear?"

Sango glared. "The one about Inuyasha… and Kagome…?"

"Ooooooooh," he said dramatically.

"You realize you sound really strange when you make sounds like that, right?" Sango teased.

Feigning hurt, Miroku pouted. "B-but I thought you liked me."

"Stuff it."

"I'm quite serious," he objected.

_He does sound serious, _she realized, turning to him in curiosity. His tone was no longer joking, and for some reason she was a bit nervous. So she resorted to her default reaction: sarcasm.

"When are you ever serious?"

Looking down, Miroku said, "I understand if I have not earned your trust, Sango. I'm sorry."

_Why is he being so morose? _

"Hey. Miroku."

Miroku looked up at her, face bearing a pitiable expression which made her feel a little guilty. _It's not like he's always a pervert, _Sango admitted. _I mean, look at now… we're THIS CLOSE to having a serious conversation, and he hasn't made even one grab for my butt… yet._

She grimaced. _He'll never be able to redeem himself if I don't give him the chance._

"Miroku, you're my best friend." They both frowned at these words; for some reason, they didn't sound right. Shaking it off, Sango continued, "Of course I trust you."

And then Miroku brightened up like a toddler getting a lollipop.

_Multiple personalities, Miroku?_

"Then tell me… do you like me the way I am?"

Sango nearly stopped walking. Eyes narrowed, she said warily, "What do you mean?"

"Nothing."

_Too quick, Miroku_, she thought, scrutinizing him. _What is up with him?_

Sango found herself looking down, fiddling with her fingers.

Resolving to alleviate the suddenly tense atmosphere between them, Sango said, "So, seriously. What do you think of Kagome and Inuyasha?"

"Those kids like each other so much, they just can't stand it," Miroku said, smiling.

"Kids?" Sango asked dubiously.

Miroku nodded solemnly. "Until they learn to act like mature adults, they will always be children in my eyes."

"Not like you're much of a role model in that regard," Sango reminded him with a smirk.

But Miroku beamed. "In that regard? Oh? What _am _I a role model in?"

_Idiot._

"I don't know… pervertedness?" she suggested.

"Sango, my dear, that's not fair."

Sango sighed, looked into his eyes… and forgot what she was going to say. For the briefest moment, gazing into those blue depths, she was taken back to the time she had first met him… sixth grade.

FLASHBACK

Sango stood straight, backpack and Hiraikotsu slung over her shoulder, prepared to face her first day at her new school.

_Tokyo. This place is cool, I'll give it that, _Sango thought as she admired her surroundings. The city was expansive and full of life, and the school was absolutely gigantic; even bigger than the one in the city which had been her home a few days ago.

She had two complaints: first, the size of her new house. She suspected that it was at most three quarters the size of her old home, and she couldn't help but wonder where in the world they would store all of their demon slayer weapons. _But hopefully Dad will build an extension… so I won't worry about that now._

The more important of her complaints was that she had left her friends behind. That was what she could not forgive her father for.

_How could he make me leave them? How could he take my life away from me? HOW?_

She didn't hold it against the city. She didn't shout her rage to the heavens. She didn't even cry; nor did she want to. Just the idea of succumbing to tears disgusted her. _I'm better than that, _she thought, staring into the face of her new school. _You hear me? You can't beat me; so don't even try._

And nobody did. From the moment she stepped into the school, from the moment she said her first words to any of the students… Sango's reputation was set in stone.

"Well," she said to herself, "Here we go."

Hoisting her backpack higher on her shoulders, Sango set a confident pace to the front door.

"Let go! Let me go! Get off of me!"

The boy's screams distracted her… as screams of pain and terror tend to do, for most people at least. Sango whirled sharply, hand going automatically to the Hiraikotsu. _Where…? _

She saw them.

A boy of about her age but shorter knelt on the ground, hands over his head. Surrounding him were two other boys—bigger, stronger, older, and obviously completely pissed.

"That teaches _you_," the oldest boy spat, kicking the boy in the side, "To mess with my girlfriend."

"It's not my fault!" the boy groaned, wincing in agony. Sango winced with him.

_What do those guys think they're doing? Picking on somebody like that. Jerks._

"Yeah? Tell her butt that, you perverted dog," the other boy growled, hoisting the boy to his feet by his neck.

Sango, by this time, was beginning to suspect that this boy had done something to anger the others. _But that doesn't mean he deserves to be beat up, _she thought.

"I'm sorry! I regret everything! I am so sorry! Bring her over here, I'll apologize to her as well! Please!"

"She's not going anywhere near you," the older boy growled, punching his victim in the stomach.

The boy doubled over, looking like he was about to throw up. And then Sango knew she'd had enough.

"HEY! PICK ON SOMEBODY YOUR OWN SIZE!"

The three boys looked over at the sound of her shout to see a furious sixth grade girl wielding a gigantic boomerang. The younger one was dumbfounded, and seeing his expression, for a second Sango wondered if the other boys had given him brain damage.

His attackers, on the other hand, cracked up.

"Like who?" one of them choked out. "You?"

Sango gritted her teeth, clenching her Hiraikotsu tighter. _I swear… they're asking for it. They're gonna get it. _"Maybe," she growled, approaching them.

"Hey, perv," the other guy said to the boy, kicking him again, "You've got a girlfriend."

Sango grimaced. "I'm not his girlfriend. I don't even know him. But I don't need to know him to know that he's a lot better off without two idiots beating him up!"

The boys let go of the other boy, and the younger one stumbled, falling to his knees. Sango stood tall as the two older ones advanced on her. _They don't know who they're messing with, _she thought.

"If you don't know him," the taller boy said, "Then there's some stuff you should know about him before you rush to defend him. He's a total perv—I wouldn't think a girl like you would waste their time with him."

"I'm not gonna judge him by what two bullies say about him," Sango growled. "Just leave him alone. Or I'll make you."

The boys laughed, grinning. "Oooh, we're scared now. What's she gonna do? Bat her eyelashes at us?"

The shorter of the boys—still tall—said thoughtfully, "You know, this girl is pretty cute. If she wasn't a little kid, I might ask her out."

Sango grimaced. For a sixth grader, she was fairly well developed, and she knew it… and hated it.

"You hear that? You're a little kid, kid. So scram."

Sango pushed back her shoulders. "No. _You _scram… or this _little kid _is going to beat both of you into the ground."

_Because she can. And will. _Sango smiled to herself. _One of the perks of being a trained demon slayer._

"Yeah? Let's see."

The taller boy made a move toward Sango, hand outstretched… and Sango swung her Hiraikotsu at him.

The younger boy, still on the ground, watched in awe as this girl sent two high school juniors running away in complete terror in less than twenty seconds. Watching her hair flying around her, watching her Hiraikotsu whip through the air… he could only think of two things: first, that she was beautiful, and second, that she was terrifyingly strong.

And he liked her for that.

Sango stopped once the two boys were gone, and then turned to the boy she'd saved. Walking toward him, she stopped in front of him, hand outstretched. "Hey, I'm Sango Takeda. What's your name?"

For a second he simply stared at her… and Sango wondered whether they had beaten him to the point of brain damage.

Finally seeming to realize that she expected him to take her hand, he grasped it, using it pull himself to his feet. "My name is Miroku Watanabe," he said graciously. She had to admit that it surprised her, how unshaken he seemed. _Does this kind of thing happen often? _She wondered.

"Cool." Sango smiled at him.

Then she felt something touch her backside, and her eyes bulged.

"You _PERVERT!_" she screamed, whacking him in the head with her Hiraikotsu. "They were right after all! _Geez_."

Miroku cursed himself silently. The one girl in the world to ever try to be his friend… and he grabs her butt. _But it's so worth it, _he thought.

"Wait!" he said, grabbing Sango's wrist and trying to stop her from leaving.

"Get off me," Sango snapped, trying to shake free of his grasp. "I helped you once, but I'm not your bodyguard. You're gonna have to watch out for yourself."

_Or maybe learn to restrain yourself, _she added mentally.

"Wait! Please! Let me explain! My hand's cursed!"

That got Sango's attention… because it was the most pathetic excuse she had ever heard.

"Your… hand… is… cursed," she said slowly, as if making sure she had heard him right.

Miroku nodded eagerly. "Yes! It's out of my control! Please, let me make it up to you."

"I don't want you to make it up to me," Sango muttered. _I just want to make it through the day without killing anybody_, she added in her head.

She began to turn away, but he didn't let her. Instead he clasped her hands in his, forcing her to look down at him… down, because he was several inches shorter than her.

And when she looked into his face… she realized that he had the most amazing, deep blue eyes that she had ever seen.

"Sango," he pleaded. "Please forgive me. I am not all so bad as you think. And I'm very sorry."

His tone was so proper… it made her smile. _Maybe I'll give him a chance, _she thought. So she bit her lip, wondered if she was going to regret this, and said, "Okay."

Miroku frowned. "Okay what?"

Sango glared at him, rolling her eyes. "Okay, I'll give you a chance. Prove to me you're not a mindless pervert."

And then his face brightened in a way Sango had never thought could happen outside of an anime.

"Yes! Thank you, Sango! I'll prove it, you'll see. I'll walk you to your classes, even… if you'll let me see your schedule."

Sango narrowed her eyes at him, wondering whether he was going to end up being a stalker.

They compared their schedules and found that they had four classes together, including lunch and homeroom. "This is great!" he said, excited. "Come with me, Sango. I'll show you to our classroom."

A little amused at his antics, Sango let him hold the front door for her… although she kept a careful watch on his hands while she passed by.

He walked beside her. She turned to him and said, "I'm giving you a chance. But I have two rules: first, you are _not _going to sit in the desk behind mine—in _any _class. And second," she narrowed her eyes dangerously, "If you _ever _touch my butt again… I will kill you."

Miroku smiled widely at her. "I wouldn't dream of it."

END FLASHBACK

"Sango, my dear?"

Sango blinked, looking up at Miroku, who had begun to look a bit concerned. She smiled slightly to herself. _That was before he got his growth spurt, _she thought wryly. Nowadays, it was hard to imagine Miroku ever being shorter than her.

"It's nothing," she thought, smiling. At the time back then in sixth grade… she hadn't been sure how she felt. Irritated… amused… happy… a combination? Now, though, the memory was a happy one.

"Do you ever wonder," Sango said slowly, "If we would still have met if I hadn't seen those guys picking on you?"

"Hmm?" Miroku glanced at her, then realizing what she meant, said with a grin, "Oh, probably, one way or another."

Sango glared at him. "Oh, yeah. That's right—you probably would have grabbed my butt eventually, anyway."

Miroku smiled sheepishly… but for once, Sango wasn't angry.

"I suppose," Miroku said, "Then, that you are happy we met?"

She squinted at him. "We're best friends. As annoying as your wandering hand is, of course I'm happy we met."

He blushed lightly… and so did she.

"Sango… I… ah… I wanted to speak with you about something."

Sango's feet stopped moving.

"Sango, my dear?"

Blinking, Sango smiled. "No, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." But suddenly remembering what he had said, she said, "Um… what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well… I…"

Neither was moving now. Sango stared up at him, and as she began to get a sense of what he was thinking, blushed even more. _Is he going to… he is. He's going to say it._

"I… what I wanted to say was… that…"

Sango's cell phone rang.

Swearing silently, she flipped open her phone to see a text message… one which she really did not want to see right about now.

Sango turned to Miroku. "I'm sorry, Miroku. I have to go."

"You have a demon to slay?" he asked, wry and nervous and the same time.

Sango laughed hesitantly. "Yeah… so… I'll see you tomorrow, or in school, I guess, right?"

"Yeah…" He ran his hand through his hair. "Right. Then."

"Okay… bye. See you later."

"Good bye, Sango."

Miroku watched Sango break into a run, Hiraikotsu in hand. Her figure retreated farther and farther, growing smaller until finally she was out of sight.

Gone.

_I'll tell her… I swear upon my father's grave that I will tell her… some day. _

He just hoped that _some day _would come before Sango grew tired of waiting.

**A/N: Give it up for Skittle Dog, k, LunaP, Daichilover, beautiful-surreal, iheartinuyasha, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, Maiden of the Silver Fires, Kagome Takahashi, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, lilmama, EmoKittenz, xXthenextbookwormXx, and ArcticPuppet for reviewing! *Claps hands enthusiastically while jumping up and down and looking a little crazy* All right guys, review this chapter and hopefully you'll have an update in about four days give or take! (hopefully not give, but I don't want to make promises :D). I'm hoping for nine or more reviews! See ya later, I love you all, I hope you liked this chapter even though it was a SanMir, and for those of you who looked forward to SanMir, I hope I did a good job! ^^**


	33. Change

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm lying here on the couch with a fever of 102.6 that spiked at one in the morning, and I feel half-dead, but I still updated for you guys because I'm just THAT nice and I love you all so much! This is a Rin/Sess cause several people have requested it, so I hope you like it :). Read and review for me! ^^**

THIRTY-THREE: CHANGE

The rest of the weekend passed fairly placidly for Rin: she spent Sunday doing homework with Kagome until Kaede showed up, at which time the elderly priestess invited both Kagome and Rin to come watch her while she renewed the Explusion Pulse. Rin knew that Kaede could not teach her the Expulsion Pulse and had only invited her out of courtesy… but she was grateful that she hadn't been pushed aside.

Monday came… and unfortunately, so did period four.

Rin stopped in front of the door to her advanced chemistry classroom, books gathered in her slender arms and piled up to her chin. She began to fear that if she didn't reach her desk soon, she might collapse under the weight of her many textbooks.

_But actually going to my desk is scary to think about too, _she thought grimly.

Lab 4B. Behind this door lay her desk, her class, the familiar chalkboard and lab tables… and also the people she feared most in the world.

_Or at least most in this moment, _Rin amended.

Gnawing on her lip, she slowly placed a trembling finger on the doorknob.

_What will happen once I go in there? _She thought worriedly. She remembered the effect Sesshomaru had had on them on Thursday… _Will they leave me alone? _Sesshomaru had certainly made an impression on them, but Rin knew that a lot could happen in one weekend. _What if they're mad at me?! _The longer Rin thought about it, the more worked up she felt herself becoming. But still, she couldn't help it. _It's like I can't control it, _Rin thought, kneading her shirt with her free hand. _I can't help it! _

Rin's thoughts took a different turn. _And what about… about _him? _Will he still ignore me? What if he confronts me about it? What will I do? What _should _I do?_

And then she asked herself a question which she hadn't asked before.

_What do I WANT?_

What did she want? Amidst all these confusing fears and possibilities… was there something in particular that she was hoping for?

Rin sighed. _Yeah. I guess there is. But it doesn't matter, cause it'll never happen._

Grimacing, she looked at the door again, intending to turn the knob but instead sliding her finger off of it. _I can't do it. I can't do it._

_ I can't, I'm sorry, I CAN'T! _

"Rin."

Just that one word, just him speaking her name, was enough to set her heart racing.

Rin employed all the self-control she possessed to remain composed as she turned around to look up at him. But even as she tried to be brave… she couldn't speak. _Stupid, stupid, stupid, _she thought. _Get a grip, Rin! _

"Are you all right?"

Rin gulped, managing to nod and say, "Yes, thank you. Um… are you? All right?"

He didn't answer that. Instead, he asked tonelessly, barely looking at her, "Where were you on Friday?"

Rin blinked, surprise. _Why does he want to know that? _She would have blurted out an answer, the truth, the first thing that came to mind. He had that kind of effect on her. She had a feeling that if he asked her to buy a flying dragon-demon on EBay and ride it to America, she would do it without thinking twice.

_And I'd definitely start thinking about it later, _Rin thought, _When it's too late. So I've got to stop doing whatever he tells me. He's a person. He may be a… an incredibly amazing, brilliant, handsome demon, but he's still a person._

_ So why is my heart racing like this?!_

So to avoid being painfully predictable, Rin said, "Um… w-why do you want to know?"

But once again, he refused to answer her question. In fact, he barely acknowledged the fact that she had even asked him anything. Instead he repeated, "Where were you?"

Rin opened her mouth. Closed it. Breathed deeply through her nose. _Inhale. Exhale. Clear your head. Good._

And when her head was cleared, she said stubbornly, "If you tell me why you want to know, I'll tell you where I was."

It was a small victory, but Rin felt as if she had won a war. She couldn't help but smile.

She did sincerely want to know why he had questioned about her whereabouts. However, the purpose of her asking the question was to prove that she could overcome his effect on her. So it was more for her own benefit than his. But her words got a reaction from him… one which surprised her.

The sides of Sesshomaru's mouth quirked upwards for the briefest instant; it was so quick that Rin wondered if it had been a hallucination. But then he was back to his usual emotionless face. His unreadable, golden eyes never failed to mesmerize Rin.

Encouraged by his brief almost-smile, Rin said breathlessly, "W-well?"

_SESSHOMARU _

"Where were you?" Sesshomaru asked tonelessly.

He watched her face haze over, and he analyzed it as she appeared to struggle with herself. _What is she struggling with…? Is she ill?_

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed infinitesimally. _Why does her face intrigue me so?_

He decided that it must be because she was so easy to read. The girl, Rin, was hopeless when it came to hiding her emotions from him… or anyone, he suspected. Watching her face was fascinating, for every emotion she felt flashed across it in various degrees of intensity; open and completely unconcealed.

But finally the haze in her eyes cleared, and he could see that she was brimming with resolve. "If you tell me why you want to know, I'll tell you where I was."

And Sesshomaru couldn't help but feel amused at her pride when she said these fifteen words. _She wishes to defy me, _he realized. _But why? What is there for her to gain by not answering this Sesshomaru's question? _

A tiny part of him wanted to just answer her demand. It was a fair request, after all. _We are classmates, _he reminded himself. _Only classmates. Barely acquaintances. There should be no reason for this Sesshomaru to inquire her whereabouts on the past Friday, _(except for the fact that since he had come to her aid on Thursday and she was missing the next day, his mind had been filled with thoughts of the girl and whether or not she was all right), _So naturally she would wish to know the cause behind my questioning. It is only fair that she receives her end of the bargain._

But if he were to answer her… what would he say?

For he himself was not completely sure.

But suddenly Rin's eyes brightened: first in happiness, then in disappointment. _What is this girl thinking? _Sesshomaru almost demanded, as if he were asking her rather than himself.

He could read her emotions; but he longed to know the reasons behind them.

He despised that longing.

Sesshomaru blinked. _She is a human, _he thought. _An interesting human, perhaps… but still a human. And in the end, they are all the same. A disgusting, predictable species whose greatest enemy is their own stupidity._

But when he tried to apply any of these descriptions to Rin, he found that he couldn't.

_She has no right to interest me, and I will not let her._

At that moment, Rin's eyes glinted with a different light… and Sesshomaru put aside his misgivings and wondered exactly what caused that newfound confidence.

"W-well?"

Sesshomaru resisted the urge to smile at her challenge. _Rin is brave, _he thought.

_The girl deserves an answer. But what answer could this Sesshomaru possibly give her?_

_RIN_

"You were not in class," Sesshomaru said, voice and face cool and composed. "Where were you?"

_That's his explanation? _Rin thought in surprise. Surprise, because she had not been sure whether he would attempt to explain himself at all.

She wasn't stupid, and she knew that that was not the full story. _But then why would he tell me something so plain as that? _She felt her face crumple in sudden chagrin. If she did not feel so wretchedly disappointed and upset, she would have grimaced at her helplessness in controlling her emotions. _Does he think I'm… _The last word was even quieter in her mind… _Stupid? _

Rin moaned internally. _Of course he does. I'm just a silly little girl to him. What was I thinking? What else would he think of me?_

She wanted to kick herself.

_But then, _she thought, a thought occurring to her, _Why did he bother to ask where I was at all? If he thinks I'm stupid… why would he care?_

Rin bit her lip. _I wish he would be honest with me. _

_ I wish I wasn't always so blatantly honest with him. He must think I'm really boring._

She felt herself shrinking within herself. _I'm not boring, _she thought, gritting her teeth. _I'm not. And I don't care if he thinks I'm boring. Kagome doesn't think I'm boring. Sango doesn't think I'm boring. _I _don't think I'm boring._

_ So he can think what he likes. I don't care._

_ I'll show him that. _

Rin opened her mouth to say something that would "show him that," but no words came out. Instead, eyes saddened, she closed her mouth and looked into Sesshomaru's face, for the first time making eye contact. A flicker of an emotion passed across Sesshomaru's face: confusion, curiosity, concern? She wasn't sure which… but there was something there, and it comforted her, a little. _Maybe he doesn't think I'm boring, _she thought hesitantly, as if afraid to believe it. _I mean, if he thought I was boring… why is he still out here in the hallway with me?_

"Is there something troubling you, Rin?"

_He said my name again. _A shudder passed through her as her name rolled off of his tongue. _Rin. I never thought it could sound so beautiful. _

She wanted to hear it again.

Rin shook her head slightly, smiling brightly with newfound happiness. "No… thanks for asking."

_He did ask. That means he must care somewhat… right?_

Suddenly Rin frowned. _Is that why he asked where I was? Does he… care about me?_

She gazed deep into Sesshomaru's eyes, willing herself not to become lost in their recesses. _I bet he could teach me how to keep my feelings off my face, _she thought. _Maybe I could ask him to help me with that, if… _she stopped herself. _No. That probably won't happen. I don't want to start hoping._

Hope was dangerous. Hope could be the most powerful weapon in the world… but also the riskiest, and Rin wasn't prepared to take that risk.

Hope could destroy even the most experienced of warriors in a way that a sword couldn't.

_But if I don't hope, _Rin thought, frowning, _What am I left with?_

So she threw caution to the winds and completed her thought.

_Maybe I could ask him for help if we ever become friends._

She hoped very much that they would.

Rin smiled up at him. "I was sick on Friday," she explained. _Even if he won't give me a real answer to why he wants to know, _she thought, _there's no reason for me not to tell him why I wasn't there. If I want him to trust me, I have to get him to respect me. _"So I couldn't come to school. Don't worry, though; I'm better now."

Rin almost moaned as the words left her mouth. _Don't worry? What if he wasn't worrying?! I wonder if I sounded like an idiot after all…_

But then he said flatly, "That's good." Glancing at the door, Sesshomaru smirked. "Were you planning on standing here until the bell rang, or were you going to go inside?"

Rin jumped at his words, laughing nervously and blushing. "Oh… uh… right, sorry. I guess I was going to go inside…" _Not that I want to, _she added mentally.

Her hand reached for the doorknob. _You have to go to class, Rin, _she thought. _Come on. Don't make him think you're some kind of idiot. You can do it. You've turned doorknobs before… it's not hard…_

It had never been as hard as it was now.

But then Sesshomaru's hand beat hers to the doorknob, and Rin froze.

"You don't have to worry," he said softly, not looking at her anymore. "They won't bother you."

Rin stared at Sesshomaru, wondering how he knew exactly what she was thinking. "I… I guess I know that," she admitted. But because she couldn't resist, she added, "Are you sure?"

Sesshomaru smiled slightly. "Quite."

He left it at that.

Rin frowned. _I wish he would talk to me more, _she thought. _I should be grateful that he's talking to me at all, _she grimaced with guilt, _But sometimes… I have to wonder whether he cares about me at all. _

But she remembered:

_ "Sssh," he said softly, brushing her lips with one finger._

If he hadn't cared, he wouldn't have done that… she knew that_. I can't be another disgusting human… I'm not… I know I'm not._

She remembered the feeling of his fingers, wiping the tears off of her face.

_I can't be._

_"You shouldn't cry," he had said, voice impassive. "It only encourages them."_

Rin shook her head vigorously. _If you were so indifferent, why would you tell me not to cry? _She smiled slightly, with bitter humor. _But you didn't say that because my tears bothered you, Sesshomaru. You said that because "it only encourages them."_

"Are you okay?"

Rin almost didn't respond, for she thought that the sound was only in her mind. But then she saw Sesshomaru's cold eyes on her… reading her own eyes. And she was helpless to defend herself.

Rin smiled. "Yeah."

_ He cares. _

Sesshomaru prodded the door open, holding it for her, and following her almost protectively into the classroom. Rin missed the way his eyes landed on Hiten and Abi and narrowed dangerously, but Hiten and Abi didn't. Luckily, it didn't take a genius to understand the message embedded in that glance; because Hiten and Abi certainly weren't geniuses.

They understood.

Rin sat down at her desk, staring thoughtfully at her hands. _I'm hoping too much, _she thought. _I'm hoping, and if I keep on doing this I'm going to get all my hopes thrown back in my face. _Sighing, she fiddled with the eraser on her pencil. _Kagome would think I'm a fool_, she thought. _Well, maybe I am. But maybe I'm not. Maybe she's just wrong. Maybe they're all wrong._

_ He cares for me. I know he does…_

_ Right?_

Rin resisted the urge to turn around and glance at Sesshomaru, whom she knew was sitting in the back of the classroom, behind Hiten and Abi.

Rin shuddered. _What will I do if I have to work with them again?_

The bell rang, and just like that, Renkotsu was at his desk. Rin glanced at her teacher, trying not to frown. _Where was he on Thursday?! If Sesshomaru hadn't been there… who knows what Hiten would have done. And Renkotsu… Renkotsu-sensei, where were you? Where were you when I needed you?_

He could have stopped it. He could have stopped…

Rin's eyes widened. _He could have stopped all of it. If Renkotsu had stopped Hiten from threatening me… if Hiten and Abi had never gotten the chance… then Sesshomaru would never have saved me. _

_ And maybe we would be back to where we were on the first day of school. _

Rin suddenly began to wonder if maybe, Renkotsu's absence had not been the worst thing after all.

"Everyone," Renkotsu said, grasping the class's attention with just his voice, "We're going to be starting our first long-term project, so listen and I will explain to you the rules. You will each be receiving a packet of guidelines, however, you have a fair amount of freedom in this experiment. Each group will receive a packet of seeds: the fast-growing Australian Hibiscus. Your job is to try to make your seeds grow the fastest possible, and flower at the earliest possible date. So in other words, you must find a way to accelerate the natural growth rate of the Australian Hibiscus. Document your results, background, research, information, hypothesis, and all these things. The best grades will be awarded to those who succeed in making your plants grow faster, but if your experiment fails for some reason, which it shouldn't, you can make up some points by explaining your mistake. So… go find your groups."

Rin was lucky that some subconscious part of her heard and processed what he said, because after the first mention of _groups_, she was lost.

_Groups. _

Working in a group was okay, as long as she was with people she liked. Sometimes it could be nice to have help… as long as she wasn't the only one doing the work. Sometimes it was nice to have company… as long as nobody was teasing her.

But what she dreaded, what she _hated _about groups… was finding them.

Rin felt herself sinking in a cold sea of dread as the class stood from their seats and flocked to find their friends. _But I don't have any friends here, _Rin thought solemnly. She wasn't sure what she considered Sesshomaru, but she was pretty sure that _he _didn't consider _her _a friend. _Or maybe he does? _A small voice in her head piped up. She shook her head to herself. _Even if he does consider us friends, he probably has other people who he knows better. He must. _

Rin turned around to glance at Sesshomaru's seat… which was empty.

She turned around, cursing her own foolishness.

"Rin, do you have a partner?"

She would know that voice anywhere.

Rin whirled around in her seat at the sound of the cool, quiet voice. _No, _she thought. _I'm hoping again… I'm hoping… no, no… no…. _

_ Please…_

"Rin?"

_He really is talking to me_, she thought with a swooping sense of joy.

Rin looked up, and when craning her neck became uncomfortable she stood—which, she noticed to her dismay, was not much of an improvement. "Yes, Sesshomaru?" she asked.

"You do not know anybody in this class, do you?" Sesshomaru asked, although it sounded more like a statement than a question.

Rin frowned. "Well… other than you, and… Hiten and Abi, I guess." She grimaced at the last words, hoping he got the message: that there was no way she wanted to end up with either of the last two.

Sesshomaru grimaced as well, just a slight narrowing of the eyes: an expression of utter disdain. _He doesn't like them either, _she thought, a little reassured.

Rin looked down at the desk. "Nobody else really talks to me," she admitted. Frowning to herself, she thought, _But it's not their opinions I care about. _"Not like I mind, though. I mean, I… well…" Sesshomaru wasn't looking at her, but she knew he was listening. If only she knew what he was _thinking_.

What could she say? _He wouldn't like some weak little kid, _she thought, saddened. _And I guess that's what I am, isn't it? A weak little kid who relies on her sister to take care of her, and strangers to protect her, and… and…_

_ I'm out of my league. I know it, but I can't help wishing._

"They do not matter," Sesshomaru said in a low voice. "You should not worry so much about what others think of you, Rin."

Rin turned to stare at him, unable to tell him how much those words meant to her.

"Um…" she shuffled her feet, playing with her fingers and looking down shyly. "Well… I was going to say… I need a partner for the experiment, and…" she trailed off.

She couldn't say it.

Rin's eyes widened as she realized the truth. _I can't say it, _she thought, horrified at her own weakness. _My perfect opportunity, my ONLY opportunity, the best I'll ever get, and I can't say it. He must think I'm pathetic._

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, and Rin shuddered. _He thinks I'm weak, he thinks I'm a scared little kid, I know he does. _But he didn't say anything. He didn't walk away.

He just stood there… waiting.

_Unless he wants me to continue? _Rin dared to think.

If he wanted her to continue… if he really did, and she had a feeling that, for some reason, he did… then she would. She would do anything for him—even the impossible. And she knew it.

She would even ask him to be her partner if that was what he was waiting for.

"I was thinking that…" _Good job, Rin. Keep going. _"Well, I don't know anybody else…" _That's true… explain it to him, give him a reason… _ "But if you wanted to…" _If he wants to… _"Maybe we could be partners?"

_Maybe we could be partners?_

_ Maybe we could be partners?_

_ Maybe we could…?_

She had said it… and she wasn't quite sure if she could believe it.

Now it was up to him.

For one breathtaking, terrifying moment, Sesshomaru said nothing. It was as if he were contemplating the meaning of the words… contemplating what _she_, _Rin _meant by those words, as if they might mean something different coming from her than from anyone else.

But then, finally, he spoke, and when he opened his mouth Rin couldn't help exhaling in relief.

"I think that would be a good idea."

Rin couldn't believe it.

A good idea. He thought it would be a good idea. And in a roundabout way… Rin knew that that was a yes.

And so she broke into a smile, a glowing, elated smile which shone with excitement… perhaps a little nervousness, yes, but she knew that her happiness was clearer on her face. Rin wondered what Sesshomaru made of her smile, but she knew that she would never find out.

"Well, good," she said, eyes shining. _He said yes. He said yes._

Sesshomaru stared at her, quite emotionlessly, but that was what she expected from him. _He must think I'm so simple, _Rin thought. But for some reason, she smiled at this. _Oh, well. It's like Kagome says: I'm not simple, and if people think I am, then it's their problem and they're not worth worrying about._

Sesshomaru nodded slowly, as if mulling the concept over in his head. "Yes," he finally said.

"You think we should start planning for the project now?"

He smirked wryly. "I think so." They sat down at two desks, side by side, chairs turned towards each other. Rin could feel her heart racing.

_He's not like how they described him at all, _she thought firmly. _They're wrong._

"So, do you have any ideas?" she asked brightly.

"Hmm… we need to find a way to accelerate growth…?" Sesshomaru murmured. "Well… if we want good results, we should think of something of which the others will not, do you agree?"

Rin smiled. "Yeah, I see what you mean. We have to do something… unique."

Suddenly Sesshomaru stiffened, turning around. Rin followed his glare to two boys at one of the lab tables, who swiftly looked away when they caught Sesshomaru and Rin looking at them.

"Were they talking about us?" Rin asked, confused.

Sesshomaru smiled cryptically at her for a second. "I suppose you could say that. Would you like to know what they said?"

Rin looked down at her feet. She hadn't really cared, but something in his voice… she wasn't sure whether it made her want to know _more _or want to remain in the dark. _Ignorance is bliss, _she thought ironically.

"I…" She glanced again at the boys, who were once again staring at them. But this time, with only her gaze on them, they just smirked and didn't look away. That decided it for Rin. With a rigid motion, she snapped her head back to Sesshomaru and said, "It doesn't matter, right? They're just… it doesn't matter what they said. Let's keep thinking about our project; we can ignore them. It doesn't matter what they think of us."

_Let's. We. Us._

Rin wondered whether she should choose her words more carefully, but to her relief, Sesshomaru did not seem bothered by it. She certainly wasn't bothered by it, but the last thing she wanted was to make Sesshomaru think she was clingy.

Rin's face fell. _I am clingy, though, _she thought sadly. _Once I get close to someone, I stick to them like glue for as long as I can. I mean, look at me and Kagome. I've always thought that it was normal for people to like people who show how much they care for them, how much they need them. I've never hidden that from Kagome, and I know it doesn't annoy her. But… there are lots of people who aren't like that, aren't there? There are people who it _would _annoy._

She looked at Sesshomaru, almost sure that he was one of those people. But even as her heart sank, Sesshomaru nodded in approval. "You speak well," he said unexpectedly. "And you're right: it doesn't matter at all what they said." He slowly turned his head backwards to look at the boys. Rin couldn't see his face, but from the boys' reactions she knew it must have been terrifying. Sesshomaru turned back around to look at her. "You shouldn't worry about people like that. They're not worth it," he said.

_Is he comforting me? _

Rin smiled. "Thanks," she said. "I know that. Kagome tells me that, too. Whenever people bother me, she always sticks up for me—she says it's not worth my time to worry about people who don't understand."

Despite her nervousness, despite her tendency to blush and fidget, Rin found herself gradually becoming more accustomed to Sesshomaru's presence. _It's like we _are _friends, _she thought in awe. _I can tell him things… I feel almost compelled to tell him things. But I know he won't laugh at me or call me a baby._

He didn't disappoint her. Instead he frowned, not in disapproval but in thought. "Kagome must be very kind to you," he observed.

Rin nodded eagerly. "She is! She's the best sister in the whole world."

Rin smiled as she said this. She couldn't imagine a better family to have been adopted into; there were so many out there, and somehow, miraculously, she had been blessed with this one. She had the best mother in the world, the best grandfather in the world, the best brother in the world, and the best sister in the world… the best family in the whole universe.

_I'm lucky, _she thought, remembering all the people she had known in her life, and thinking of her own family. _I'm really lucky._

"That's good," Sesshomaru said. Although his head was turned in her direction, his eyes looked almost through her, staring at something which Rin could not see.

"Um… Sesshomaru?"

For a moment he didn't respond at all to her quiet voice, and she wondered if he had even heard her. But then his eyes snapped back to the present and he looked at her… then at the packet of guidelines which she just noticed rested on the desk.

"We should begin thinking about the project," he said. "We should think about what kind of experiment we want to do."

Rin nodded eagerly. "Let's do something that will impress him," she said.

Sesshomaru nodded, smiling very slightly at her enthusiasm. She stared at him in unconcealed wonder; today he had been smiling more than she had seen him smile since she first met him. He frowned slightly when a small smile graced her face, and she watched with an almost surreal sense of happiness as he tilted his head to the side, arching a single perfect eyebrow in a way that made her eyes widen.

_I can't do that, _Rin thought, smiling at the absurdity of her jealousy. Suddenly a strange thought struck her, and she restrained a giggle. _I bet he's really good at giving death glares. Even better than Kagome, probably. That's hard to imagine… but I bet it's true. _Rin grinned to herself. _Kagome won't be happy to hear about this._

SESSHOMARU _(a minute or two ago)_

Sesshomaru froze, wondering for a moment if the foolish boys had actually said what he had thought they said. _Are they so incredibly stupid, _he thought in disgusted disbelief, _As to blatantly disrespect both Rin and myself in such a crude manner?_

Never before had he heard someone say such a thing about him… especially behind his back. _Cowards, _Sesshomaru hissed. _They should know their place. This Sesshomaru takes insults from no one. _

People knew to steer clear of him. With the exception of his half brother, nobody in the school had ever before dared to risk his wrath… and it did not please him that they thought his picking Rin as his partner gave them an excuse to speak their minds.

_It is for her sake, _Sesshomaru told himself. _She does not know a single other person in the class besides this Sesshomaru… and I could not abandon her to allow her to be with one of THEM._

_Vulgar humans._

He wanted to stand up slowly and approach the boys. He knew he would relish the fear on their faces when they would realize that he had heard them. How could he not have heard them? He, a full-blooded demon, and they, standing just sixteen feet and seven inches away?

But picking fights with humans was beneath him, and he knew it. So he satisfied himself by turning around slowly in his chair and giving them a deathly glare which he knew would send chills down their spines.

It did, and he saw them shudder and look away.

_Cowards, _he thought again, satisfied.

"Were they talking about us?"

Rin's sweet, confused voice made him turn around. He smirked slightly and said, "I suppose you could say that." Sesshomaru paused, wondering if he should ask her the next question. _She is a… she is just a child, _he thought, almost angry with himself, resisting the urge to ball his hand into a fist. But even as he thought the words, he knew they weren't true. _She may be in the tenth grade, _he thought, _but she is not a child. And she deserves to know, if she would like to. _But even as he asked, "Would you like to know what they said?" he hoped she would respond in the negative.

To his surprise, Rin was silent. He had been almost certain that she would demand to know what they had said. But all she said was a quiet, "I…" while she glanced at the boys. Sesshomaru resisted the urge to turn around as well… for he feared that if he did, he might lose control. Their words were crude, yes, and he was angry that they would dare say such a thing about him. But the fact that they had included Rin ignited a fireball of fury which burned in his chest.

Surprising him once again, Rin's face suddenly took on a hard resolve. She straightened her shoulders almost without thinking and said firmly, "It doesn't matter, right? They're just… it doesn't matter what they said. Let's keep thinking about our project; we can ignore them. It doesn't matter what they think of us."

_Let's. We. Us._

She was including him. She included him with _her_.

Sesshomaru suddenly felt something very strange, something which he couldn't describe, something which even if he had tried he would not have been able to articulate into words. And this something… he began to feel almost as if it were _pleasant_, which made him unsure whether he liked it or not.

He ignored the feeling, putting it out of mind, and then remembered that Rin was waiting for a reply. _What a strange feeling, _he thought. _It is almost as if I _want _to reply._

How disturbing.

Sesshomaru nodded to Rin, impressed by the strength which he had seen in her words. It was a strength he had not heard from her before. "You speak well. And you're right: it doesn't matter at all what they said." He found that he could not resist any longer, and turned around to once again look at those who had dared try to offend her. There were no words said, no gestures made. But just that ice cold stare and arch of the eyebrow which he fixed upon the offenders was enough to make their eyes widen with horror and their bodies turn so that they hid their faces from him. _Disgusting, _Sesshomaru thought, turning around to look at Rin. "You shouldn't worry about people like that," he told her. _No, you shouldn't. _"They're not worth it."

And then Rin did something which made him forget his fury completely: she smiled. She had smiled before, but never so genuine a smile, never so bright as now, when she looked as if her elation might carry her, and Sesshomaru as well, up, up, and away from the dreary school building.

"Thanks," she said, still smiling. "I know that. Kagome tells me that, too. Whenever people bother me, she always sticks up for me—she says it's not worth my time to worry about people who don't understand."

_She sounds so calm, when talking about her sister, _Sesshomaru thought, intrigued. _I personally have found Kagome to be a normal, unexceptional girl in most regards. But Rin speaks so highly of her… _Sesshomaru frowned as he thought, _She speaks as if she thinks that Kagome is superior to her. _

He was disgusted at the thought that Rin would even consider that.

"Kagome must be very kind to you," he said.

She nodded vigorously, face lighting up with eagerness. "She is! She's the best sister in the whole world."

And then Rin sank into a beautiful, dream-like smile which Sesshomaru found himself entranced by. _How is it possible that a mere human could be so… _he couldn't think of a word to describe Rin. And after a moment of thought, he decided that that was for the best.

"That's good," Sesshomaru said. Rin almost didn't seem to hear him, and he wondered if she was still thinking about her sister, about her luck at having such a sister. _But Rin is not the lucky one, _Sesshomaru thought. _It is Kagome and the rest of her family that are lucky. _

Rin spoke about Kagome as if she were the most wonderful person in the world. She certainly was Rin's best friend and sister, her confidante, her idol… and Sesshomaru frowned when he realized that for some reason, this discussion, these thoughts, this talking about _Kagome _as if she were some kind of goddess… it bothered him.

"Um… Sesshomaru?"

For a brief moment Sesshomaru considered not responding at all; he assumed that she would continue speaking. But when she didn't and he realized that she was waiting for him to acknowledge her, he looked up from the desk to her face.

"We should begin thinking about the project," he said. _Although it is certainly not a very interesting project, _he thought dully, annoyed at the lack of imagination in the—in _most _of the human species. "We should think about what kind of experiment we want to perform."

Rin nodded, and Sesshomaru was pleased to see her excitement. "Let's do something that will impress him," she said.

Sesshomaru wasn't certain what happened at that moment that caused Rin's face to change from excitement to joy, but something must have, because it certainly changed. The girl was a wonder to him. No matter how quickly he adapted to her moods, her thinking, her personality, it seemed that he could never catch up.

And then Rin did something which made him almost want to smile: she giggled. It wasn't one of those high-pitched, overexcited, girlish giggles which he so often had to endure from many females in the school. It wasn't one of those screechy snorts or hysterical giggles which made him want to rip his own ears out. Instead, it was a pure, pealing sound, almost musical.

Beautiful.

Sesshomaru found himself entranced by her laugh, by the range of tones and notes which her voice struck instinctively as she smiled, trying to restrain that slight giggle. And when the sound faded, he found himself wishing it had not.

_What is happening to me? _Sesshomaru thought, but with more curiosity than revulsion. No, he couldn't say he felt revulsion… perhaps he was a bit wary of the changes, but repulsed? No.

He could never be repulsed by a change which Rin Suzuki Higurashi caused.

**A/N: And that's it! I hope you liked it :D :D. Thanks to ILoveInuyasha4Eva, Daichilover, k, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, LunaP, listen, Suzeheart, xXthenextbookwormXx, Maiden of the Silver Fires, EmoKittenz, and lilmama for reviewing! I love you guys, and everyone! **

**Hey, also, I wanted to know if you guys want me to incorporate the kotodama (Inuyasha's "SIT!" necklace) into this story in the future. I've got an idea, thanks to one of my reviewers :D, whom I will thank if I use the idea (cause I can't remember exactly who it was who gave me the idea—I'm debating between two people, and I'm so sorry I can't remember, I'm an idiot plus I feel sick so please have mercy on me and pm me if you were the one! XD). So guys, review and tell me yes or no for the kotodama, and of course, what you think of this chapter! I love you all, I'm hoping for nine-ten reviews OR MORE, four days like usual, and I'll see you soon! ^^**


	34. Swords, Arrows, and Spiritual Power

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: HEEEY! Here's the update… later time than usual, but it's still today!!! So you can't crucify me yet :P. Though hopefully you wouldn't ever… cause I'm sure if you did… SOMEBODY would be mad… one of you wonderful people must realize that KILLING ME FOR UPDATING LATE wouldn't really get your message across, right?! **

** Read and review, guys! :D**

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: SWORDS, ARROWS, AND SPIRITUAL POWER

KAGOME

I spent Sunday doing homework with Rin, and that gave me time to think about what Inuyasha had said about the Orb of Night. That it was possessing me. I remembered vaguely that at the time, I had been completely sure he was right. After all, I _had _felt… something.

But now I was beginning to doubt it, and the fact that I could doubt something which twenty four hours ago I had been so dead certain about unnerved me.

In any case, I decided to listen to Kaede. But it tortured me to sit in the house, just meters away from the den where I could be unraveling the secrets of the Orb of Night. The longer I sat still the more I felt like I not only wanted but _needed _to see the Orb again. Kaede came over at around four o'clock to renew the Expulsion Pulse, and I watched her, but she didn't let me try it. She left shortly afterwards, after reminding me so helpfully to "ponder the world" in my free time and not to touch Orb of Night.

Monday arrived. And for once, I was relieved.

Until gym.

"Okay everybody. Get your weapons, and find a partner with the same weapon to spar with."

Oh no.

I trudged over to the shed with Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha to find the sword I had been given during the last class. Briefly, I wondered who Miroku would partner with since nobody else had a staff… but I was too worried about myself to worry too long about him.

Inuyasha or stranger… Inuyasha or stranger…

Annoying egotistical guy who is now my friend but probably still would love the chance to cream me in a sparring match… or stranger.

Muso decided for us.

"Higurashi, you're partners with Takahashi. Takeda, Yamaguchi. Tanaka…"

I turned to face my worryingly gleeful partner. I couldn't help but hope that maybe, the glee was caused by the fact that he got to be partners with his new friend and _not _because he was about to get to cream the aforementioned new friend…? No. It was too much to hope for. "Okay, let's do this. Look, I'm completely inept with a sword, as you know, and I'm fully aware of it so since we're _friends _now you don't need to remind me about it every other second. And you'd better get ready… cause no matter how inept I am, there's no way I'm going easy on you."

Inuyasha grinned. "Sure, wench. Bring it on."

Bring _what _on is the question.

I held the sword uneasily in front of me, almost wishing he would turn mean again and say something rude enough to make me cry so he could spend the whole class apologizing to me. Maybe that's not something most people would wish for, but I prefer to be in tears than in pieces.

And then he thrust the sword forward, and all thoughts in my mind were replaced by one: _DODGE. FAST._

I yelped and jumped to the side. "Take it easy, will you?!"

Students aren't allowed to _kill _each other in Tokyo, are they? Especially not if they're friends, right? FRIENDS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO KILL EACH OTHER, RIGHT?!

"Keh. This is easy, wench," he shot back, advancing.

I held my sword up in front of me in trembling hands and he jumped towards me with astonishing speed and strength.

Goodbye life.

But then I surprised myself… by bringing the sword up in front of my face and, somehow, blocking his blow.

I blocked it.

I FREAKING BLOCKED IT!

"Ow!" I yelped when Inuyasha hit me on the side with the flat of his blade.

"You're a dead wench, wench," he said… rather happily it seemed to me.

Fine. Two can play at that game.

So I did the stupidest thing I've done in awhile—rushed headlong toward him, my sword raised over my head, which when you think about it makes _no sense at all._

Inuyasha took advantage of my idiocy by swinging his sword and resting it on my shoulder… inches away from my neck.

Crap.

I stiffened. Inuyasha smirked. "You're not too great at staying alive," he taunted, tilting my chin up with the tip of his blade.

"Yeah?" I'm learning that it's a little hard to talk when somebody's sword is poking your jaw. He grinned wider, a glint of humor shining in his eyes, and I began to suspect that not only was he teasing me, he was having fun doing it. "Well, neither are you."

Inuyasha glanced downward to see that my sword was now prodding his stomach.

Stalemate. Or so I thought until he grabbed my sword and yanked it out of my hand.

"Hey!" I objected as he turned my _own sword _against me. "That's not fair. It's two against one."

He shook his head, quite obviously enjoying this. "Nah. It's me with two swords against you… with no swords. So three against zero. You might wanna think about getting a math tutor, wench."

"Stop… calling… me… _wench!_" I ground out.

"Make me."

But I couldn't. And he knew that… and loved it.

Rolling my eyes, I said, "Aren't we supposed to be friends?"

He grinned wider. "Playing the friends card is a sign of desperation… wench."

Well I'd certainly say I was desperate.

He poised his huge sword at my neck, my more slender one at my chest over my heart, and he advanced, backing me up against a wall.

"You'd be really dead by now," Inuyasha commented. Like it made any sense. So I'd be _really _dead rather than dead. Ha! Shows how much he knows.

It had taken a little concentration to stop myself from thinking, _Keh. _

What can I say? Annoying guys rub off on you. I'm serious.

He grinned at me. "As much as I like annoying you, killing you over and over again with no resistance isn't much fun."

"Hey! I resent that."

Inuyasha grinned. "I know you do, wench. That's why I say it.

"So… if I give you back your sword, will you at least _try _to stay alive? Instead of lying down on a plate for me?"

Now he's going to eat me. Wonderful.

Glaring daggers at him and hoping they might materialize out of thin air and embed themselves in his skull, I accepted my sword—not because I wanted to, but because I had a feeling if it didn't end up in my hands, it would end up in my stomach.

Aggressive. Be aggressive.

He backed away from me, heavy sword raised, armed with a wide grin, and I felt the adrenaline rushing through my blood. I didn't see Kagura and the blue transparent demon girl hurling wind and energy at each other… I didn't see Sango catch that big guy's boomerang in her left hand and hurl both hers and his back at his head… I didn't see Miroku raising his staff to ward off a blow from somebody I wouldn't recognize… I didn't see Muso yelling at two boys to stop being so aggressive…

In that moment, it was just me and Inuyasha alone on the planet.

But then he moved… and despite the awkwardness of the sword, I knew he was far more skilled than me no matter what weapon he had. But I can do something he can't. And it was only when his sword was inches away from cutting me diagonally in half that he began to glow blue.

And I knew what to do.

Without a second thought or a backwards glance, I lifted my sword and thrust it forward… except this time its strength was not in my muscles or its sharp blade.

This time its strength was _my _strength… my spiritual power. And that is something he can't do.

Inuyasha's eyes widened when he saw it building up at the tip of the sword. And we both knew there was nothing he could do… and I grinned while he paled.

And it probably would have worked if I hadn't lost focus.

The sword snapped in half, falling out of my hands and clattering to the floor, while the spiritual power I had accumulated exploded in our faces, knocking both of us to the floor.

"Aaaah!"

Inuyasha's booming cackles resonated throughout the gym, attracting the eyes of every single student in the entire dang room. You'd think they'd have better things to do than gawk at two idiots lying on the ground. You really would.

"You can't even handle your own power, huh, wench?" Inuyasha choked out, doubled over his stomach.

"In case you didn't notice, _you're _on the ground, too," I reminded him.

He sobered almost instantly.

"Well… that was very interesting, Miss Higurashi."

I glanced upward anxiously to see Muso standing over me… and the rest of the class staring at us. Hastily gathering the pieces of the sword and standing, I said guiltily, "Sorry, Mr. Muso. It was an accident."

A corner of his mouth twitched. "Clearly. Why didn't you tell me you had spiritual power?"

"Well… I…"

Muso smiled. "Don't worry Kagome, it's okay. Why don't I find you a more appropriate weapon… a bow and arrow, perhaps?"

And then he presented me with a dark, wooden bow and a quiver of beautiful, if not slightly worn arrows.

I apologize in advance to everyone in the class… for it's very likely I may shoot you.

"It's… wow," I said. Then I glanced at Muso. "Do you want me to take them?"

Muso smiled at me. "I'm not holding them here for my own amusement, Higurashi."

Right. Of course.

When I heard Inuyasha stifling laughter, I straightened up and accepted the weapons from him with the same care I might use while handling an atomic bomb. "Do you want me to try it out? Right here?"

With all these innocent people in the line of fire?

By way of answer, he set up a bull's-eye target at one end of the gym. I'll take that as a yes.

"Keh… we should probably evacuate the building," Inuyasha teased, grinning at me.

I glared at him. "Shut up and let me concentrate."

"Sure, wench, sure. You need all the concentration you can get."

All the concentration I can get, huh?

"I am not desperate, and I am not playing the friend card," I announced before continuing. "I just want to better understand your idea of friendship. Cause as far as I know, friends don't antagonize each other."

Inuyasha, in that infuriating way of his, stretched out on the floor, putting his arms behind his head. "Keh. Who says we need to follow the rules?" He smirked. "And I'm not antagonizing you. You're just oversensitive."

_You're just oversensitive._

He said it like… like he was teasing me. Which I guess he was. His words didn't really bother me anymore. What bothered me about it was how _carelessly _he said it, like he was dismissing everything else he had ever said before, the stuff that _had _hurt me, like that wasn't his fault at all. Like that was me being _just oversensitive. _

Oversensitive, am I?

In that instant, I realized that I really, really wanted to hit that target. I didn't care about hitting it in the center or anything. I just wanted to hit it… and preferably not any of my classmates.

_How _to hit it was the question.

There are several tips about archery that I remember from various places I can't recall: stuff about posture, about sight, about the slant of the arrow… tons of stuff that I had a feeling wouldn't prove much use to me. So finally, after going through everything I knew about archery and myself in my extremely cluttered head, I decided on three possible methods for the most likely success: one, I try to fix my posture and aim straight; two, I devote all my concentration into focusing on the target as if my life depends on it; and three, I imagine Inuyasha's face glued to the bull's-eye.

Because after all… who says we need to follow the rules?

Smirking, I decided to combine all three.

Taking a deep breath, I knew that, somehow, my dignity rode on this one arrow. So I set the arrow on the bowstring… pulled the bowstring back by my ear… took a deep breath… focused… and released.

If I had been aware that the eyes of almost the entire class were on me, maybe I would have lost focus. If I had lost focus… maybe the arrow would not have embedded itself in the small red dot which marked the center of the target. So all in all, it was a good thing that I didn't realize I had an audience until after the arrow landed on its mark… because if I'd gotten nervous, everything could have been ruined.

I would never have gotten to see that look of absolute astonishment on Inuyasha's face.

It was a lucky shot, of course. Of all the teasing things Inuyasha said while the rest of class clapped, that one, I had to admit, was true. Obviously it was amateur's luck; I'm about as much of an amateur as you can get. I shot about fifteen more arrows that day, most of which hit the target, but none of which joined my first arrow at the bull's eye. So… that first arrow… I guess I got lucky.

But considering how I had doubted I would even be able to _hit _the target, let alone get even one bull's eye… especially since before now, I've barely ever even held an arrow and a bow at the same time… gym hadn't been so bad.

"Hey, wench," Inuyasha called as I turned to go to the locker rooms.

"Yeah?" I retorted so cleverly, turning slightly.

But then he smirked at my half-retort, and his next words… and smile… made me turn around fully. "It was a nice shot. Practice a little bit and you might be able to hit it again."

I'm still not sure… but I think that that was a compliment.

**A/N: Thank you thank you thank you for the absolutely awesome reviews, guys: Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, beautiful-surreal, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, listen, LunaP, xXthenextbookwormXx, iheartinuyasha, SuperHarryPotterNerd, lilmama, Daichilover, -Galecia-, inuyashafan3, Roses Kiss, EmoKittenz, ElvenMermaid, Tomatosoup inc., and bear lover! I felt giddy while reading them! Some of you guys are so funny—really, I laugh at loud while reading your reviews. And I LOVE them all, so keep it up, please! New reviewers also are encouraged to review! Reviewing is FUN, guys! :D And thank you all for your input on the kotodama… so it's YES for the sit necklace! Sorry to those of you who didn't want it in, but the ones who wanted the necklace outnumbered the ones who didn't. Don't worry, though! I won't overuse the sitting thing, you don't have to worry about that! So anyway, thank you so much for your reviews and the next update should be in the usual! I'm hoping for nine or ten OR MORE :D reviews! See you soon! ^^ **


	35. Hypothesis and Evidence

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hi guys, here's another chapter for ya! I hope you like it, read and review :D. **

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: HYPOTHESIS… AND EVIDENCE

"Koga?"

Koga smiled earnestly, taking my hands in his like he always did… every single day. "Yes Kagome?" he asked, putting his arm around my shoulder.

I sighed. Time to break the news to him… the news which I probably should have broken to him on Monday, but hadn't actually had time to, for he had left art without me to go flirt with one of the girls down the hall.

But I couldn't avoid this any longer.

"Koga… um, Inuyasha and I—"

Koga hissed. "Don't tell me you and that _half-breed_—"

Resisting the urge to yell at him, I said sharply, "Don't call him that, and before you ask: _no, _we are not together. _No _we are not intimate. _No _I do not have any desire at all to become any of the above."

Koga stared at me blankly… and obviously, he hadn't really taken in a word I'd said.

"So…" he said finally, "Then what's your problem with me putting my arm around you? Wasn't the whole point for you to annoy the hell out of dog-boy?" Koga smirked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Not at all because you're _attracted _to me, of course…."

I swear, this guy doesn't know the meaning of _lost cause._

I sighed, noticing I've been sighing a lot lately. "I'm sorry, but I'm not attracted to you. And it _was _the point. Which is why there no longer _is _a point, cause Inuyasha and I are friends."

Koga and I stopped walking. Rin continued several paces ahead of us… that is, until she realized that the wolf demon next to me had apparently lost the muscles in his legs.

And since his arm was slung around my waist, I stopped, too.

Finally, as if unable to fully apprehend the meaning of the words, Koga said, "So… you and Inuyasha… don't hate each other anymore? You're… uh… friends?"

When he put it like that, even I had to admit that it did sound unlikely.

I sighed. Again. "Yes, Koga."

Koga's eyebrows furrowed, and I could sense the wheels turning in his head. "What are you saying?"

I opened my mouth to tell him exactly what I'd been saying EXTREMELY CLEARLY for the last five minutes, but as it turned out, I didn't get the chance to tell him.

"What she's _saying_," said a loud, pissed voice flying toward us from the other end of the hallway, "Is that she doesn't want your filthy arm around her waist, wolf shit."

Rin and I glanced at each other and gulped. And while Koga's eyes narrowed, I prayed that Inuyasha was not going to take this whole thing the wrong way and take it out on _me. _

Not that I wanted him to take it out on Koga, either.

"So get the fuck off of her!"

At first I couldn't figure out where in the crowd of students Inuyasha was, but it quickly became obvious; because wherever he was, students got the heck away. Fast.

Finally Inuyasha came into view, storming out of a sea of his terrified classmates… and they were rightfully scared. His face was absolutely _murderous. _

I suddenly began to worry that a certain wolf demon might end the day squashed against someone's locker.

Rin yelped, leaping out of Inuyasha's way, and Inuyasha grabbed me by the arm and yanked me from Koga's grasp. Way too aggressively to be only inspired by _protective instincts _if you ask me… but what else could it be?

"Ow," I complained, glaring at Inuyasha. "I was telling him to let me go, you don't have to go ripping my arm out of its socket. I might think you're trying to hurt me and end up purifying you."

Of course, Inuyasha laughed, smirking at me. "Sure, wench. Try it."

His laughter was as infuriating as always, but when he smirked, a wave of relief crashed into me. Because from that smirk, from the humor in his eyes, I could tell he understood. He wasn't mad.

Well… he wasn't mad at _me._

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed dangerously at Koga, and I wondered how in the world the wolf demon managed to hold his ground. "You put one _finger _on her, and you're gonna pay, okay?" Inuyasha growled. I got the sense that this was no bluff.

But why would Inuyasha want to make Koga pay? I guess my little annoy-Inuyasha-until-he-goes-crazy strategy worked even better than I had thought it would….

Koga straightened up haughtily, confident and unabashed. "If you remember, it was _Kagome's _choice. And you never had a right to interfere, half-breed." Inuyasha hissed at the word, and I wanted to tell Koga to shut up, but he wasn't done talking. "So why now?" Koga demanded.

Inuyasha grimaced, glanced at me, then back at Koga. "Cause I _can. _She's my friend, and it is sure as hell my right to _interfere _with you _assaulting _her."

"You jackass! I would NEVER—"

"Ha, you're enough of a—"

"Half-breed—"

"M—"

"ENOUGH!"

My shout rang throughout the hallways, capturing the attention of Inuyasha, Koga, Rin, Sango and Miroku, who I'd just noticed were there, and about everyone else in the entire hallway.

Once again: is staring some kind of medical need for them?!

Breathing hard, trying to take control of myself, I smiled a strained, probably kind of evil looking smile and said in that sweet way I have, "Inuyasha? Koga? Would you please stop screaming like animals and save me the trouble of asking Sango to incapacitate you?"

Sango smiled at me, nodding as if to say, _I've got your back._

Inuyasha and Koga, somewhat unbelievably, stopped yelling. Apparently my threat to sick Sango on them was much more effective than any threat of _me _hurting them.

I sighed; I had a long way to go before I could do anything with my powers that would make Inuyasha take me seriously.

"Are we listening?" I asked in a voice like poisoned sugar. They were. "Great. In that case, let's get a few things straight, okay? Inuyasha, Koga is not going to… erm… _assault _me. Or hurt me. At all." He'd better not, for his own safety. "And Koga, Inuyasha is my friend, whether you like him or not. So stop calling him a half breed. It hurts me, too."

Koga shifted uncomfortably, eyeing me guiltily while shooting venomous glares at Inuyasha. Inuyasha, meanwhile, snorted and muttered, "What do you mean, _too?_"

I didn't bother to answer that—he knew fully well what I meant, even if he wouldn't admit it. So instead I said, "So… guys… how about we try a truce, maybe? That sound okay?"

Inuyasha looked at Koga. Koga looked at Inuyasha.

They simultaneously gagged.

"I guess not…" I said in a small, nervous voice to Rin. She glanced at me, giggling just a little at my tone, but I could tell she was just as scared as the rest of us.

"Guys, really," Sango said, speaking finally, stepping forward so that she stood next to me. She smirked at Inuyasha and Koga. "Koga, we know you hate Inuyasha. Inuyasha, we know you hate Koga and are incapable of controlling your insane, jealous temper. You guys don't have to prove it to us."

Miroku nodded, joining Sango. "Try to have some maturity, please."

Around us, students were beginning to hesitantly make their way to their classrooms again. It seemed like now that they no longer felt like their lives were in immediate danger, they felt safe enough to… I don't know… breathe, move. Stuff like that, which they hadn't been doing before.

Or maybe they'd just been hoping for a fight.

"So… will you guys calm down a little bit, please?" I asked.

Koga sighed. "No more hand-holding?"

Rolling my eyes a little, I said sardonically, "No more hand-holding."

Beside me, his hands still gripping my arms, Inuyasha smirked. And so while Koga sighed, smiled at me, blew me a kiss and walked away, I was left to think about why the heck Inuyasha blows a fuse every time Koga so much as bats his eyelashes at me.

And even more frightening, I started to confront my growing… irrational… and maybe even _hopeful… _hypothesis.

"Inuyasha?"

I turned around to confirm my suspicions: yes, Inuyasha was indeed following me from the cafeteria to my locker. He glared at me. "What?"

"Not like I mind too much or anything, but is there a particular reason why you're stalking me to my locker?" I asked innocently, raising an eyebrow.

Inuyasha seemed to catch on. Grimacing, he said, "Keh, you got a problem with that?"

I rolled my eyes. "Didn't I just say I don't mind too much?"

Why does he always have to be on the defensive?

"Oh. Keh. I wasn't paying much attention."

Was he avoiding my question because he doesn't want to answer it? Was he avoiding my question because he wants to annoy the living hell out of me?

Who knows?

But I didn't ask him that. Instead, I asked him, "So… you planning on talking to me, or are you just going to stare at the back of my head?"

Staring at my forehead is also fine for him, apparently.

Inuyasha grinned. "I don't know, wench. What do you want me to do?"

"Guess, dog-boy."

Inuyasha sped up a little, walking beside me. "Okay. I'm following you to your locker."

So I've noticed. "Why?"

He glanced at me. "I didn't know it was illegal for friends to go to their next class together," he teased. "Or do you just want to get rid of me that badly?"

Is it illegal? Who knows? This is Tokyo; there might be a law against it. Haha—and I bet you thought you'd escaped the Tokyo griping, huh?

Just one of my many enchanting qualities.

"My locker isn't exactly in the direction of Family class," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Keh, you think I don't know that?"

Well, you're you… so you might have forgotten.

We reached my locker and stopped, him leaning against the locker next to it, me opening mine. When I had all my books in my arms, I pushed the locker shut… and something occurred to me.

"Hey," I said, looking at Inuyasha fully in the eye. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to continue. "Is this about Menomaru and Gatenmaru?"

Even if he hadn't answered… even if he'd said I was wrong… I would have known that I hit the bull's-eye from the way his mouth curled into an involuntary snarl.

"Keh," he growled. "You don't have to worry about those bastards. You got it? They're not worth it."

"What are you saying?" I demanded. He began walking ahead of me, and I ran to catch up. "They're members of a _gang_, idiot. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure most people worry about being attacked and murdered by powerful killers."

I'm no masochist, so I can be pretty positive when I say that I'm not looking forward to waking up without a head.

Predictably, Inuyasha just smirked. "I'm not most people, wench," he said. "I don't know how you guys deal with mediocrity."

Rolling my eyes, I teased sarcastically, "You get used to it eventually."

For once, he was quiet. And as much as I might have wished for his silence last week… now it infuriated me.

"Hey! We're talking about my impending doom, here," I objected. "I'd appreciate it if you could at least pretend you cared."

If he's my friend, then why does it seem like my death wouldn't give him so much as a poor night's sleep?

But to my surprise, his eyes darkened. "I'm thinking about it, wench," he said grimly. "You should try that out too, before you start running your mouth."

Running my mouth, am I?

I opened the aforementioned part of my body to yell at him, but then I saw something in his eyes that made me think there was more to what he had said than just an insult.

"Inuyasha?" He looked down at me, and in his eyes, behind the teasing and the anger, I saw something that could be somehow construed as hurt… or at least as close as a blockhead like Inuyasha ever got to hurt. "I'm sorry I snapped at you," I said sincerely. "I'm just worried. You would be too if you were in my position."

His expression changed to one of confusion, as if he were surprised I would admit I'd been out of line. As if he thought that _I _was the one who couldn't pronounce the words 'I'm sorry.'

My new friend seems to be having an identity crisis.

After a moment he said, "Look, wench, I care, okay?" Inuyasha grinned slightly. "If you died, I wouldn't have anyone to annoy the hell out of. Well, I'd have Sango and Miroku, I guess. But it's not the same." Oh, how that flattered me. "But I don't know what you're so worked up about."

That sentence told me everything I needed to know. And I don't know why _he _is trying so hard to _hide _that he's worked up about it.

"Hmm… let me name a few things, just for starters…" I said teasingly, rolling my eyes, pretending to think hard. "I wonder what I could _possibly _be _worked up about…_"

What in the world could I have to worry about? Surely not murder, or gangs, or demons, or soul-possessing spheres, or being stabbed in the dead of night… I mean, what kind of teenager worries about stuff like that when they could worry about much more important things, like tests and relationships and reputations and clothes?

"Okay, okay, wench," Inuyasha said, grinning. "I get it already."

"You know, it's hard to think you really get it when you keep calling me a Feudal Era serving woman," I commented. Once again, an example of something I have to explain to him which for most people would fall under the category of _common freaking sense. _

But in return to my criticism, Inuyasha did what I knew he would do: claim he _did _know, imply that he _did _have common sense, and call me a wench. "I know that. Wench."

"Idiot," I retorted.

"Chick."

"Dog-boy."

Inuyasha grimaced at that, reddening a little. "Keh."

Seeing the perfect chance to tease him, I grinned. "Are you blushing, _dog-boy?_"

Eyes widening as if I'd told him he'd begun to bleed uncontrollably from the head, Inuyasha growled, "Hell no. I don't blush, wench."

I'll have to prove him wrong about that. So, my master plan: carry a digital camera around and take a picture of him when he blushes, being very careful not to think about the strange looks I will be receiving from my peers.

A clawed hand distracted me by wrapping itself around my arm. "Oi, we're here."

So we were.

We had stopped in front of the room to our Family class. Somehow, I must have missed the part where we actually _walked _there… but I'm not gonna question it.

"Are we gonna go inside or just stand out here and stare at the door?" Inuyasha asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

The latter was beginning to sound very appealing.

"Menomaru and Gatenmaru weren't here on Friday," I muttered. "For whatever reason. But they'll probably be here today… and…."

Suddenly I shut my mouth. What am I doing? Showing my fear in front of Inuyasha? He would just call me a coward. Well, I guess for a reckless idiot like him, it's sort of hard to tell the difference between being a coward and being a _survivor. _But that didn't change the fact that I would have no reward for my troubles.

_Troubles _being confessing my innermost fears of death by mutilation… which I'm sure are oh so hard to read off my face.

"Wench, look at me."

Look at you? Why? To see the mocking light in your eyes? To confirm my suspicions that you don't take anything I say seriously at all?

I looked at him.

I'm pathetic.

"They're not gonna hurt you," he muttered. "Look, they're assholes, but they're no match for me." Well, that was sort of sweet. Was he saying that… he would protect me? In his way? But then he had to add with a wide grin, "And if they _do _try something… let's just say it'll be the last thing they ever try."

Maybe I'm drastically misunderstanding him… but I think Inuyasha is _hoping _that they'll try to kill me.

"Uh-huh," I said, nodding my head like what he said made perfect sense and wasn't psychotic at all. When he wasn't looking, I glanced away anxiously. It doesn't take a genius to see that Inuyasha has a big ego. And I know he's strong… but Menomaru and Gatenmaru might be stronger. And they're definitely stronger than me in any case.

If it comes to a fight, I have a feeling that Invincible Priestess Kagome is going to end up face down in the mud.

The stiffening of Inuyasha's muscles caused my head to jerk upward; I turned as he turned, and saw what he saw probably seconds after his golden eyes narrowed at the sight.

_What he saw _was Menomaru and Gatenmaru. About ten feet away from us.

My breath left my lungs at the sight of them, so close, so sudden. This was the first time I had seen them since Thursday… also the first time Inuyasha had seen them since they threatened me.

"Remember what I said, wench," Inuyasha growled. "They're no problem. Got it?"

But when they were so close and staring straight at me, with intense, cold gazes, it was hard to describe them as _no problem. _

But for the sake of my pride (and I'm sure you all know by now that that is not something of small importance to me), I straightened my shoulders and managed to stand tall… hopefully looking more dignified than a drowned cat.

They stepped closer.

Meanwhile, my imagination and my sanity declared war.

Closer.

What would happen when they reached us?

Closer.

Would they try to hurt me?

Closer.

Would they even acknowledge what had happened on Thursday?

Closer.

Maybe they would pretend it never happened?

Closer.

Maybe they would attack me?

Closer.

Maybe they'd cut off my arms and legs?

Closer.

Maybe they'd fry my brains and feed them to a new race of super-powered beasts?

Closer.

Maybe they'd cut out me and Inuyasha's organs and use them to create a new fashion line?

Closer.

Maybe they'd get rich making exclusive purses lined with stomach linings that would sell for four hundred dollars?

Closer.

Maybe they'd think what they'd done was wrong… and apologize?

That was when I knew my imagination was winning.

**A/N: Haha, cliffie! I hadn't done one of those in awhile, so I just felt like it :D. Anyway, here's to Tomatosoup inc., bear lover, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, yeah9fun, inuyashafan3, beautiful-surreal, EmoKittenz, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, xXthenextbookwormXx, LunaP, ElvenMermaid, listen, Daichilover, Inumimi1, SuperHarryPotterNerd, hihi123, and I am the Wind Mizuki Kay for reviewing! You guys ROCK, really! And sorry I haven't put the kotodama in… I am intending to put it in soonish, though! I'll probably be introducing the idea in chapter 39. And I know that sounds far away, but there's something else I want to get through first! So please, guys, review, I love your input as always, I'm hoping for ten or more reviews and I'll see you in a few days! :D**


	36. Confrontation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: CONFRONTATION

"Wench, stop shaking, it's annoying," Inuyasha growled.

Great. Now, my PARALYZING FEAR is _annoying. _Isn't he a sweetie.

But Inuyasha was barely looking at me… his eyes were riveted on Menomaru and Gatenmaru. But then a look crossed his eyes, he glanced at me briefly, and then said in a low voice, "Stop it. They like to see you afraid… it's like the icing on the cake for them, wench."

I stared at him, because for the briefest second, I thought he almost seemed sincere. No, more than that: supportive.

And his words decided me; people like Menomaru and Gatenmaru certainly do not deserve cake, let alone _icing_.

Now they were so close … they whom I was determined to never give icing to.

"Calm down," Inuyasha muttered. He glanced at me—perhaps noticing for the first time that I was green in the face and looked about to either faint or throw up. Maybe a combination? Maybe then lie unconscious and asphyxiate in my own body fluids?

I swayed.

"H-hey, don't faint on me, wench," Inuyasha yelped, grabbing my arm. Glaring, he added menacingly, "I won't catch you."

I could see it now: me, swooning dramatically and falling to the ground and choking on my own vomit, and Inuyasha, standing above me saying he'd told me he wasn't going to catch me, and now he would keep his word… and Menomaru and Gatenmaru laughing as I died….

Groaning, I shot a glare at Inuyasha. "Aren't you a good friend," I said sarcastically. I'm pretty sure that "good friends" would be perfectly willing to catch their friend if they got sick. Inuyasha… Inuyasha would be perfectly willing to laugh at me and call me a wench.

"Are you trying to play the guilt card or something?" he growled.

Smiling brightly, I said, "Not at all, Inuyasha. Why would you think such a thing?"

"She's playing the guilt card," he muttered to himself.

"Oh, good job, Inuyasha. You read between the lines. I'm very proud of you."

I wonder if he knows that talking to yourself is a sign of insanity. Oh, well. I do it all the time, so I guess I can't blame him.

Yes, I was playing the guilt card… but I hadn't actually expected it to work. So when I felt his big, clawed hand take my own, I was a little surprised. Surprised enough to glance up at him, forgetting that he's Inuyasha and is incapable of doing anything nice without somehow ruining it.

But then he snorted and rolled his eyes, and I remembered.

Maybe I would have rolled my eyes too… maybe even wrenched my hand out of his, as much as I needed the support. But then I caught just the faintest blush on his cheeks as he looked away, and for some reason that made me blush too.

The realization that I was _blushing _made me blush even more. And _that _made me turn away… but not drop his hand.

"Isn't this cute."

Those three words were all it took to get me and Inuyasha to forget our embarrassment.

"What the hell do you want, Gatenmaru?" Inuyasha growled.

"This is a classroom, half-breed," Gatenmaru said, rolling his eyes. A big, ugly smirk plastered itself across his face… which is ugly enough without the smirk, I'll add. "I guess you guys don't have them in the half-demon slums, huh?"

I suddenly felt that maybe, my holding Inuyasha's hand might become the only thing preventing a full-on fistfight from breaking out.

"Keh," Inuyasha retorted cleverly. "I'm sure by now _you _know what a classroom is. How many different ones have you had to go to? Seeing as you jackasses have been expelled from, what… six, seven, ten different schools?" Inuyasha retorted.

Menomaru's eyes narrowed. "You little—"

"Oh, _little, _huh? Keh, I'm scared now. Wow. I'm little. You really showed me, you mother fucking son of a bitch!"

Oh god.

This wasn't going anywhere good.

"Well, if I fucked a bitch then I guess I can see why you'd be upset—"

"Keh, I feel bad for anybody who has to—"

"Like if I fucked your little girlfriend—"

"LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS, YOU ROTTEN FUCKING BASTARD!"

Menomaru, Gatenmaru, and the rest of the hallway and I nearly jumped into the ceiling.

_LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS, YOU ROTTEN… _um… inappropriate word…_ BASTARD!_

I preferred to dwell on what Inuyasha said… because what Menomaru said genuinely scared me.

Inuyasha was pissed. Looking at him, I could see that he had taken the threat very personally. Even though it was a bluff.

It was a bluff, right? Menomaru _was _threatening me, he had been since Thursday… but what could he gain by doing _that?_ I was certain that whatever their plans were, it didn't involve anything like this. Unless it would just be a bonus.

I shuddered, clinging tighter to Inuyasha's hand, suddenly wondering if it wouldn't be so bad if he lost control and killed them.

Inuyasha's clawed fingers tightened around mine, squeezing so hard it hurt. And I realized that maybe, I was supporting him almost as much as he was supporting me.

Menomaru and Gatenmaru exchanged a glance, and then gave us that evil smirk which made me wonder exactly what they were thinking about. Being around these guys is just one of those times you've got to be glad you can't read minds.

"Well," Menomaru said slyly, grinning at Gatenmaru, at us. "Looks like the half-breed has a soft spot."

Taking a deep breath, I said in a trembling voice, "First, don't call him that. Second, I don't like the way you're talking about him or me. I don't like threats, guys. And if you're going to threaten me… you can be sure that it'll be met in equal force." Despite what I say about not liking threats… that sounds like a threat to me.

Invincible Priestess Kagome has risen from the grave—and also cleaned off the mud.

"Oooh," Gatenmaru said. If anything, my threat had only made him happier. "We wouldn't have it any other way, bitch."

Menomaru smiled at us. "It's too bad, though, that you and your half breed boyfriend won't be able to put up much of a fight."

"You fu—"

I clapped my free hand over Inuyasha's mouth before he could say something that would _really _get us in trouble. And knowing Inuyasha, I'm sure there are many things he could think of saying that could end up sending us to our graves.

"Don't call him that," I growled, "And he's _not _my boyfriend."

Inuyasha spit my hand away from his mouth rather violently and spat, "And she's sure as hell not my girlfriend."

I'm not sure what it was about those words that bothered me. Maybe just that he slapped my hand away so hard? Maybe that he said _hell? _But with all the other words he says… why would _that _bother me?

Maybe it was the fact that he said it like the very idea made him sick.

But that didn't make sense either—cause the idea made _me _feel sick to the point of throwing up.

Menomaru and Gatenmaru smirked. "You seem a bit defensive, half-breed," Menomaru hissed. He winked at me. "If you ever get tired of him, you might want to consider coming and hanging with us."

Gatenmaru eyed me, glanced at Menomaru, and then said, "But then again, she might not have a choice."

It was those words that got to me. Those words that sealed the nail in the coffin, that made the hairs stand on the back of my neck, that made my spine arch and my heart race.

Those words that made Inuyasha punch Gatenmaru in the face.

"Leave." He punched him in the stomach. Gatenmaru doubled over, gasping in pain. "Kagome." Punched him in the neck. Gatenmaru's eyes bulged, his face going blue. "Fucking." He kicked him in the groin, making the guy's eyes water, nearly sinking to his knees. "_OUT OF THIS!_"

Both boys engaged in what appeared to be a fistfight to the death… using teeth, fists, and claws in every effort to rip the other's internal organs out of his body.

Since I had no idea what to do, had never seen Inuyasha fighting this viciously even when he was beating up Koga, and had never seen another demon who looked like he might stand a chance against him… I did the only thing I could.

Screamed my head off and wondered, _WHY THE HELL DO THE FIGHTS ALWAYS HAPPEN OVER ME???_

Suikotsu opened the classroom door, surveyed the scene in an instant, and then asked a question I would have thought he could have answered by himself.

"Is there a problem?"

If the brawling boys hadn't noticed him by the fact that he was standing about two feet away from them, then his voice, dark and humorless, certainly alerted them to his presence.

They stopped fighting long enough for me to grab Inuyasha by the arm and pull him backwards, so quickly that he stumbled into me and nearly knocked me over. We grabbed onto each other to steady ourselves, finally coming to a balance.

And then he glared at me and snapped, "What'd you do that for?"

"_Who _did I do that for," I growled. "And the answer is _you_."

With some effort, I resisted the urge to add the word _stupid_.

"Keh."

Maybe his lack of gratitude would have annoyed me, if I hadn't been so worried for him. Quickly I surveyed his face: he had a bruise just below his jaw, but even as I watched, it was fading. Other than that… maybe a few scrapes on his arm. Nothing serious.

Except for his seemingly uncontrollable aggression problem. We would have to work on that.

But even though he had started the fight… even though he had punched Gatenmaru first, and could have gotten hurt, and had risked himself, right there in front of me, without a second thought… even though he'd been so careless… I couldn't be mad at him.

Oh, I was mad at him for nearly getting hurt. For that… for putting himself at risk… I was furious.

But it was for _his _sake that I was furious. It was for his wounds, that fading bruise and those scraps, that I was angry. I wasn't angry AT HIM.

He'd done it for me; and somehow, my role in this made it all so much worse.

If he'd gotten hurt….

But now that he wasn't hurt, now that it appeared that Gatenmaru was the one who was worse off, now that it seemed like _Gatenmaru, _the malevolent one, was the victim… I knew that Inuyasha could get in big trouble.

Careless, careless, CARELESS!

All my fault.

This wasn't like the time with Koga. That had just been moronic. But this, now… it was Gatenmaru and Menomaru who were in the wrong! They provoked him! They _threatened _us!

They provoked him by threatening _me. _Surely, Inuyasha couldn't be blamed for this…?

But for a teacher, who just walked out at the sound of some girl screaming… I knew that the situation didn't appear to be what it actually was. Even Suikotsu couldn't know what had really happened.

"Menomaru, Gatenmaru, explain yourselves."

Disregard anything I just said.

Inuyasha and I glanced at each other and then at Suikotsu in surprise. Suikotsu wasn't even looking at us; his eyes were trained on the others, whose backs were now up against a wall. Literally and metaphorically.

And then I knew that Suikotsu had their numbers. He knew what they were like, had seen them trying to drag me out of class on Thursday, and was more than capable of guessing what had happened here.

I had a feeling that, unlikely enough, Family class was becoming my safe haven.

Gatenmaru stared at Suikotsu in blatant disbelief. "What the f—he attacked me!" He jabbed his finger toward Inuyasha in emphasis. Inuyasha—doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to help his case—snorted as if to say, "Who else?"

Does he _want _to get himself suspended?

Suikotsu glanced at Inuyasha. "I don't know who started the fight," he said. "And—"

"Keh, I punched him, stupid," Inuyasha said scornfully. "And I'm bloody proud of it."

Let me rephrase what I said before. I think Inuyasha is _trying _to get himself suspended.

I sighed. Apparently, it is going to be my job to keep that idiot out of trouble.

Expending a great amount of energy to look earnestly at Suikotsu rather than glare at Inuyasha, I said, "Suikotsu-sensei! It's not his fault. Menomaru and Gatenmaru…" I trailed off, glancing at them. They leaned against the door of the classroom, looking extremely threatening even when they were probably trying _not _to look threatening.

Looking at them… seeing them smirk at me… it made me realize that I couldn't involve Suikotsu in this, however much I wished I could.

Suikotsu frowned at my silence. "Kagome, what did they do?"

"Um… they… I…"

I couldn't say it.

I'm a freaking idiot.

"They're jackasses," Inuyasha said contemptuously. "Keh. No more explanation necessary."

"We didn't _do _anything." Menomaru's cool voice forced our heads to turn. "The half breed attacked my friend. I think that Gatenmaru should be allowed to defend himself, _sir_."

Dang it. He was smooth.

But apparently not smooth enough. Suikotsu's eyes narrowed. "I don't believe that Inuyasha would try to kill Gatenmaru without provocation," he said, lips turning up in one of his wry, icy half-smirks. "I don't know what exactly you said to him or Kagome… and I'm not sure I want to know… but I hope you could reassure me that whatever you said was not at all _threatening_… and if it was, that the threat won't be carried out."

Once again… somebody who can reprimand somebody for threatening people while threatening _them _at the same time. I guess me and Suikotsu share that gift.

"Of course not," Menomaru and Gatenmaru intoned in unison, looking offended that he would even _think _such a thing of such innocent, tattoo-sporting, COMPLETELY EVIL demons.

The lie might have been believable… if it hadn't come from _them_.

But Suikotsu's face changed. A shadow passed over it, eyes darkening, becoming so dark and cold and unreadable that it appeared they no longer were his own. And then he did the thing which set me off… he smiled.

A chill raced up my spine, so suddenly and violently that I almost didn't notice the slight blue aura beginning to swirl around Suikotsu's head.

"Good."

Suikotsu turned around and walked back into the classroom without a second glance.

My eyes didn't leave the spot in the air where, for the shortest moment, I had thought I'd seen a demonic aura. I'd been scared, for sure… scared of Menomaru and Gatenmaru, scared of the fury emanating from Inuyasha's body, scared of Suikotsu's obviously increasing insanity. Clearly, my fear and nervousness had made me delusional. Have I ever actually heard of somebody's fear making them see blue around their teachers' skulls? No. But what other option was there?

Suikotsu couldn't have a demonic aura. No matter how he unnerved me, he could never, _ever _have a demonic aura.

HE'S NOT A DEMON.

"Hey, wench. Blink or something, or I'm gonna start worrying that you died on your feet."

I smirked, glad for Inuyasha's interruption. "Not dead yet. Wait a little longer; it'll probably happen before the year ends."

I might have felt more comfortable with the joke if I hadn't actually meant it.

He glared at me. "Like hell it won't." Suddenly Inuyasha whirled on Menomaru and Gatenmaru, grabbing them by their throats and slamming them into the wall. "Don't try to sneak off, you jackasses—I'm not finished with you yet."

If it had been me in Menomaru's position, I would have probably tried to talk and choked instead. But Menomaru didn't look fazed at all by the fact that Inuyasha's claws were DIGGING INTO HIS NECK.

"Are you planning on _finishing _with us _here_, half-breed?" Menomaru inquired with scathing boredom.

Maybe his idea of boredom is different than mine… but I probably wouldn't describe having my _life _threatened as boring.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed. "I'd love to, believe me, but we don't have time. Just listen, you fuckers: if you _ever_ threaten Kagome, or do anything to her, or even _talk _to her… you'll be starting a war. And I'm not somebody you want to screw with—and neither are my friends. So… if I ever hear something from her, that you've bothered her at all… if one of you wakes up with a knife in your back, don't be surprised. And you won't have to wonder where it's from."

Inuyasha's words rang in my head, terrifying, comforting, and touching. His rage chilled me to the core. It was a rage unlike any other I'd ever seen inside him; it wasn't pained, like it often had been when he'd turned it on me. It was pure, hateful _wrath_. And I knew that Inuyasha meant every word he said.

The question was, could he actually act on them? Did I _want _him to act on them?

And even if he _would _act on them… even if Menomaru and Gatenmaru knew he would… would they care?

I very much hoped that this wouldn't come to murder.

"Get your filthy hand off my neck, half-breed," Gatenmaru spat, annoyed. "We get it; if it makes you happy, we won't go near your girlfriend. All right?"

Inuyasha released their throats—being careful to knock Gatenmaru and Menomaru to the ground in the process. "She's not my girlfriend," he growled. "And if you go near her… like I said, it's war."

A war over me, his sort-of-friend-not-girlfriend. What an honor.

Gatenmaru smirked, stepping into the classroom with a, "Wouldn't dream of it." He glanced behind him to grin at Menomaru. "We wouldn't want to destroy such a happy family, now would we?" This he followed up with a swift glance to me, Inuyasha, and the baby demon doll lying in my arms.

Something about the way he eyed it before turning around and disappearing into the classroom made me hug it closer to my chest.

Back in Okinaway, I would never have thought I'd end up protecting a plastic doll. But here I am: protecting a plastic doll. The very idea of Gatenmaru hurting our fake child made me want to rip his throat out. And I'm not sure whether that disturbs me or makes me relieved that I seem to be recovering some of my long lost maternal skills.

And if it disturbs me… I don't know which part of it disturbs me more: that I'm getting defensive over a piece of plastic, or that I want to rip Gatenmaru's throat out.

But I didn't have time to ponder that; maybe it's an inanimate object, maybe it's a piece of plastic, but it is _my _baby and Gatenmaru had gone too far.

I'm not sure if it was the rage kindled in my chest that made Menomaru stop in the doorway of the classroom. But for whatever reason, he stopped and turned; eyes as deadly as his voice was when he said softly, "Inuyasha?"

It must have been either Menomaru's serious tone or his calling Inuyasha by his name which made Inuyasha respond. "Keh. What, asshole?"

Menomaru's pale eyes narrowed, and one of the sides of his mouth curled up in a sick smile. "It already _is _war."

Is it me… or did the hallway just get a whole lot colder?

Inuyasha looked at him with an emotionless face… only in his eyes could I see the anger.

"Keh. I'm good with that," Inuyasha growled.

Of course he is.

Menomaru smiled, obviously seeing Inuyasha's stupidity as an excuse to kill him in his sleep and claim it was a war casualty. "Good. I'm glad we understand each other."

With those parting words, Menomaru turned on his heel and glided into the classroom.

There was silence between Inuyasha and I for a minute or two. Had class started, through that door in that room which seemed not like a classroom but like a whole different world? Was Suikotsu waiting for Inuyasha and me to join them? Was he arresting Menomaru and Gatenmaru for being complete psychopaths? Was he KILLING Menomaru and Gatenmaru for being complete psychopaths? (Which would be a little hypocritical, since KILLING STUDENTS probably falls under the category of "complete psychopath.")

Even if it's justified.

"Um…" I grimaced, gulped, and then realized just how absolutely _pathetic _I was being. Straightening my shoulders, I said in what _I _think was an admirably non-squeaky tone, "Let's go to class."

Inuyasha grabbed my arm to stop me from moving. "Not yet, wench."

The seriousness in his tone made me look at him. His eyes, too, were fairly serious… though it was hard to tell if he was really being serious or just imagining Menomaru and Gatenmaru.

… Dying by torture.

"Those jackasses aren't gonna hurt you," he growled.

"I'll say I believe you if it makes you happy." The fact that I could inject some amount of wryness into my tone relieved me. Maybe I wasn't too far gone after all.

"Keh. I don't need you to believe me." I glanced up at him in surprise… only to find that his usual smirk had returned to his face. Inuyasha grinned his grin… the Inuyasha Grin, cause he's the only guy I've ever known who can do something with his face that might cause me death by infuriation. Still grinning, he taunted, "I just wanted to tell you you were safe so you can't blame _me _when you spend the next month hiding under your bed."

The sad thing is, he wasn't too far off.

"I am _not _going to hide under my bed," I scoffed. Maybe the closet or the bathroom, but the _bed? _So tacky.

"Sure, wench," Inuyasha said, grinning. "I'll bet you ten bucks you're gonna sleep with your teddy bear tonight."

I wonder if a fat cat counts as a teddy bear?

"Deal," I said easily, smirking to myself. Tomorrow, I will be ten bucks richer than I am today.

I don't have a teddy bear. I have a teddy seal, a teddy cat, a teddy dog, and a teddy-strange-butterfly-thing-that-I-don't-know-the-name-of.

But Inuyasha doesn't have to know that.

Seeming to sense my sudden smugness, he narrowed his eyes at me. "What are you smiling about? You're about to lose ten dollars. Even for a crazy wench like you… I wouldn't think that'd be something to grin like an idiot about."

"I'm not grinning like an idiot. I'm grinning like a genius who's about to be ten dollars richer," I corrected. Then, because I couldn't resist, I informed him, "_You _grin like an idiot."

Aren't I a helpful friend?

I laughed when he said his trademark, "Keh," and turned his nose upward. When he did that… crossing his arms, jerking his chin up so childishly… the thought crossed my mind that in a way… he was… well, a little… a tiny, tiny, _MICROSCOPICALLY _little… bit….

"You shouldn't talk like that to the guy who's protecting your ass, wench," he teased.

So not cute.

I found myself blushing. I've got to be mentally delayed.

Praying that he wouldn't notice the redness on my cheeks, I replied wryly, "Thank you for protecting my butt, Inuyasha."

_That_… a little to my shock… made HIM blush. Obviously not liking his reddening cheeks any more than I liked mine, he snapped, "Keh. It's only cause you're too helpless to protect yourself without my help."

Of course it is, Inuyasha.

Sometimes I wonder why Inuyasha is so determined to act like he's not capable of compassion, sensitivity, or actually caring about other living people in general. Is it his hobby, to pretend that he only cares for and about himself? I say pretend because as annoying and egotistical as he can be… he obviously isn't as much of a sympathetically impaired waistoid as I'm sometimes led to believe.

So why put on the act?

I glanced at him, trying to find that little something which once in awhile I thought I could see, hiding in the recesses of his golden eyes. But if there was anything there, he hid it well.

"Well," I said, "Whatever the reason for your protecting me, I'm grateful for it." Eyes softening, I smiled brightly and added, "Inuyasha, sometimes you annoy me to hell. But behind all that… you're not a bad guy." I paused, waiting for his reaction, because it would determine how I went on: sincerity or sarcasm. And I enjoyed being sincere, for once… so I was glad when he didn't scorn me. "Thank you," I said earnestly, "For protecting me. You're right: I'm no match for Menomaru and Gatenmaru right now." And then because I just had to say it, I scowled and added, "Though I think you could use some lessons in tact."

Inuyasha glared at me. "Keh. Wench."

His face was hard… his tone was gruff. But despite all this… because of the way his ears twitched and his eyes softened… I suspected that maybe, he wasn't as cold as he seemed.

Despite everything.

**A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you liked this chapter… I was worried that the writing lagged during some parts. Anyway, a googleplex (if that's how you spell it?) thanks to the following people for reviewing (I LOVE YOU GUYS!): xXthenextbookwormXx, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, lilmama, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, ElvenMermaid, LunaP, EmoKittenz, beautiful-surreal, SuperHarryPotterNerd, Skittle Dog, and bear lover! YOU'RE ALL AWESOME!!!! :D. **

**Now, a few things: first, on the sit necklace. Don't worry, guys, it'll come :). But you'll have to wait a few chapters, unfortunately. Just hang in there! **

**Second, for those of you who wish I would update faster, I am so sorry that I am keeping you waiting :(. I do plan to continue updating every four days… although once in awhile, if I get a crazy amount of reviews, I'll update sooner. But I can't do that in general, because otherwise, I'll have to make my chapters a LOT shorter to keep updating. It takes awhile to write them, and I don't want to kill the quality for the quantity. So I hope you can bear with me and survive the wait! :). I'm so happy you like my story, that means so much to me! All of you, you're amazing, really :D. **

**So, review, guys! Four days give or take, as always (though probably not give or take, seeing as it's usually not give or take XD). REVIEW!!! **


	37. Say Goodbye

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: SAY GOODBYE

"How was your day?"

Pretty normal question. About as bland as "What's up?" or "How are you?" or any of the other stupid small talk questions that so many people ask, when they know fully well that the other person will just say "Nothing" and fall into an awkward silence.

Not the case when it's me and Rin.

"Well, Menomaru and Gatenmaru threatened my life and I thought for a split second that Inuyasha looked cute," I stated. "I don't know which one is scarier."

Rin laughed that pealing laugh of hers that always makes me jealous. "You're so funny, Kagome."

Groaning, I said, "I'm glad you think my emotional distress is funny, Rin."

She opened her mouth to object, so I grinned and said, "Kidding."

Rin can take things very personally sometimes… it's something I always have to watch out for.

Rin nodded, understanding. "What happened with Menomaru and Gatenmaru?" she asked.

"Inuyasha helped me out," I said. Frowning, I amended, "Well, so did Suikotsu. Kind of both." I groaned. "That guy is really, really creepy."

"Who, Suikotsu?" Rin asked in surprise. "I thought you liked him."

"I do! He's a great teacher. I mean… he's creepy in a good way. Not Hakudoshi-creepy," I tried to explain.

Sometimes I think that I'm not very good at getting my point across.

"Oooooh." Rin nodded. "Well. Okay."

Grinning, I said, "You'll get it when you have him."

Rin nodded again… she'd been nodding a lot, I noticed. Rather absent-mindedly.

Which probably means she's thinking about something which I guess she thinks is much more important than my impending demise.

"So…" I scrutinized her face, the thoughtful look in her eyes. "What's new with you?" Rin continued to stare into space. "Rin?"

She jumped, almost as if she hadn't even realized I'd been speaking. "What? Me? What?"

"Rin, you're not on trial," I laughed. "I just wanted to know if anything was going on."

"Oh." She frowned. "Not much. Well… we were assigned a project with partners in chemistry."

I didn't really need to hear any more… I knew how much Rin hated group projects when she didn't know anybody in the class. And I cringed, imagining it in my head: my sister, staying still in her seat, motionless as if dead… her classmates, seniors much bigger and taller than her, running around to find their friends, leaving her by herself….

It was so, so wrong, and I wanted to scream at the wrongness of it.

"Rin, if you need a partner, I—"

Before I tell you what she said next, can I explain to you that I've never once heard Rin snap at me before? That's right. Rin and I are so close… I can't remember ever losing patience with her once, not for real. And I definitely can't remember her raising her voice at _me. _Actually, I've never heard her raise her voice at ANYONE.

Which was why it surprised me that _I _was the first one to get such special treatment.

"Who says I need a partner?" Rin snapped.

For a second I almost didn't realize she had really spoken. Actually, she seemed just as surprised.

"Rin—"

"No, I'm sorry," she said quickly. Rin frowned, eyebrows furrowing, and raised a slightly trembling hand to brush her bangs out of her eyes. "I don't know what came over me. Really, I…" she trailed off suddenly, frown deepening, falling into an utterly confused silence.

I wasn't sure what to say… but I didn't want this silence to continue. "Rin, I…" I put my hand on her shoulder, making her look at me. "I didn't mean that. I'm sorry. It wasn't like charity or anything—I just thought you wouldn't want to tolerate any of those bozos in your class." It was true enough—in all respects. I hadn't been offering her charity, just a friend. And we both knew that she was probably wading through a sea of bozos in that class, even though it WAS an advanced class. No matter where you go, it's unavoidable when you're as smart as Rin.

Rin smiled slightly, and I felt the corners of my mouth turn upwards when I knew I was forgiven. "It's okay. I get it." She raised her eyebrows at me. "But how could you be my partner anyway? I'd have to teach chemistry to you first."

"Fine—get me a desk, a textbook, and a lot of Pocky, and I'm ready to learn!"

We laughed together, and when we quieted, I hoped the reason she wasn't speaking was not because she was sincerely considering my proposal.

But then a thought popped into mind. "Hey, Rin. If you don't need a partner, then who is your partner?"

That was all it took for Rin to stiffen.

I glared at her, determined to find out why she was being so quiet. "If it's Hiten or Abi—"

"It's not Hiten or Abi," she said quickly. "Don't worry, I've got enough pride to know I don't need to put up with those guys."

I nodded, but didn't reply—because she still hadn't told me who it was.

And I knew that it would probably just take a few seconds of my silence for her to crack.

"Okay, okay," Rin said. "I'll tell you."

If she'd been scared… if her eyes had started pricking with tears… I still wouldn't have been as worried as I was when I saw the blush staining her cheeks.

"It's Sesshomaru."

So _that _was it.

I sighed. "You want me to say that I'm sorry about that, or congratulate you?"

Rin fidgeted. "Why are you so against him? Is it just cause he's Inuyasha's brother?"

"Of course not!" I said. Did she really think I was so bigoted? "And I don't hate Inuyasha anymore, remember?"

Rin nodded, thinking. "True. But then why don't you like him?"

I opened my mouth to tell her… and realized that I had to think about it.

Why didn't I like Sesshomaru?

"Well… we just don't know him well enough to trust him, you know?" I said. That was a valid argument, right? I wasn't completely and pathetically grasping at straws, right? "And besides… from what I've seen, he seems kind of aloof." And then I frowned and asked her, very sincerely, a question I'd been wanting to ask her since the subject had risen. "Why do you like him?"

"What—I—I don't like him. He's just kind of nice, that's all," Rin stuttered.

Her blush said something quite different.

"What nice things has he done?"

Rin glanced at me. "Well… why do you want to know, anyway? You said I wasn't on trial, but it's almost like _he _IS."

I grinned. "What, I'm not allowed to look out for my a-bit-too-trusting little sister?"

"I'm in your _grade_," she protested, pouting.

"Younger by four months!"

Rin glared playfully at me and looked away, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, "Overprotective older sisters…"

Do you ever have those random thoughts that just pop into your head for no reason whatsoever? I do. Cause I couldn't help thinking that that was a good name for a syndrome: Overprotective Older Sister Syndrome.

It has a ring to it.

And even in my moments of most obstinate denial… I have to admit that it's a little true, too.

"Kagome."

There's a reason why I haven't been mentioning a certain extremely scary, possibly evil, bleached-lavender-colored classmate of mine lately—and it's not cause the mildly crazy girl who controls everything that happens in our universe got lazy and forgot about him. Nope. Not at all.

It's because he hasn't really bothered me.

Over the last few days, I'd almost forgotten he existed. To me, it was like he didn't even exist… because he hadn't said a word to me. Not a wave, not a "hi," not a creepy smile, not even a text. Nothing.

Until now. Wednesday.

And the thing I had to notice about _this _time, the first time he'd spoken to me since last week, was that I didn't have any of my friends around to interfere.

"Kagome, you could at least manage a, 'hello,'" Hakudoshi said, smirking, walking up beside me. "Or else I might think you were ignoring me."

The smirk was teasing, his words were joking, but his eyes and tone were cool as always. Days without so much as looking at him had done nothing to help me deal with the fear his presence invoked within me.

I smiled shakily at him. "Well, I'm not ignoring you."

As much as I wished I could.

"I'm glad to hear that," he said wryly. "It'd be a problem, because I know that I'm tired of ignoring _you_."

Despite everything my friends had warned me about… despite the fact that some part of me had known it before he said it… that got my attention.

My head snapped toward his, and I looked at him. "_Were _you ignoring me?"

Hakudoshi glanced at me, looking faintly regretful… except it didn't look right on his face. _Regret _didn't seem like the kind of thing which _should _be on his face. So when it _was _on his face… it sent chills down my spine.

Immediately I ran over my options in my head, and my reasoning. There was no longer any reason to be nice to Hakudoshi just to get at Inuyasha… but did that mean there was any reason to ignore Hakudoshi? Could Sango and Inuyasha and Miroku and the rest of them be wrong?

But what frightened me was… were they right? And if they were… could I do anything to save myself?

As much as I liked to reconsider my options again and again, I had to wonder if I actually had any.

"Yeah…" he said, sighing. With a start, I realized I had asked him a question. Funny, the things terror-induced paralysis can do to your memory. "Sorry about that. I didn't really have a choice; I had to settle some things. It's all set now, though. So don't worry about it."

Like I could just _not _worry about something _he _was "settling." Especially if one of those things happened to be my death.

The cliché "better safe than sorry" had never sounded less corny.

"So… there's no chance of you telling me?" I asked hopefully.

Hakudoshi smirked. "Don't worry about it," he repeated.

His words didn't tell me that that was the only answer I would get. His tone did.

Because somehow I saw a threat in it.

Brushing that thought off, I asked, "Hey, how did you find me, anyway?"

He grinned. "We both have the next class together… is it so hard to believe that I might have seen you by coincidence?"

Maybe not with a normal guy… but definitely with Hakudoshi.

But I just nodded like I completely believed him, like I was completely taken in. And I think he believed me, too… because what reason could I have to suspect him?

Unless he _knew _that I was considering the possibility that he was an evil murderer disguised as a completely conspicuous, genius high school student, he couldn't possibly realize that I was terrified of him.

"So," Hakudoshi said suddenly, "I was thinking that, since we have this opportunity to walk to class together without your other friends following you around, we should take advantage of it more often."

That was just the kind of thing I really, really didn't want to hear, cause there was only one answer I could give.

"Uh… sure," I said uncertainly. "Okay. I guess." Grasping at straws, I added, "It sounds kind of complicated, though… I mean, where would we meet?"

Hakudoshi flashed me a smile which chilled me to the bone. "You don't have to worry about that," he promised. "I'll find you."

Great.

That was when I knew that even though he had asked whether I wanted to walk with him… I hadn't really had a choice.

"7C," Hakudoshi said, opening the door.

He held it for me again. And the gesture unnerved me just as much as it would freak me out if _Inuyasha _held a door for me.

And let me tell you… that's a lot.

I smiled hesitantly at Hakudoshi and slipped into the classroom. As I had done nearly every day, I scanned the room first for Menomaru to make sure he was nowhere near my seat: and just like every day before, he was in the back, dangerously near to (or just plain) making out with Yura.

I shuddered, wondering if they knew about each other's darker sides.

Moments like these felt almost surreal to me, because it made me feel like all those other times… the time when Menomaru had threatened me, when Yura had attacked me… had never happened. It was almost as if Menomaru and Yura had no memory of it happening at all.

Because they didn't give even the slightest indication of remembering it—remembering _anything_. Every day, in science class, I was just another student to them—another useless student who wasn't worth their attention when they were so busily involved with each other.

And I wasn't sure whether that was a good sign or a bad sign.

"Kagome."

I jumped a little, seeing Hakudoshi standing beside my desk, holding my chair out for me to sit… just like he always did.

Whereas Family class was unpredictable, this class had become eerily routine.

But the "routine" of it wasn't much comfort.

I smiled nervously at Hakudoshi and took my seat, him sitting down beside me.

As far as I could tell, Naraku didn't have a care in the world about where the students sat. Where most teachers might intervene, Naraku… doesn't. Well… it depends on who you are. Take the case of Menomaru and Yura, who probably think they will go into withdrawal if they stop making out to do basic things like study, listen, or maybe BREATHE. Maybe it's different in Tokyo, but most teachers would probably find them pretty annoying. And seeing as Naraku's a borderline psychopath, I suspect that in his class, "pretty annoying" = death.

But no. Because unfortunately, Menomaru and Yura are still very much alive.

So, liplocking during class = glare stonily and ignore; running to class two seconds late = detention and possible torture.

Who doesn't find something wrong with that?

I spun my pen around idly in my hand until I saw something on Hakudoshi's desk that struck fear into my heart.

"Hakudoshi? What is that?"

Hakudoshi glanced at me. "What is what, Kagome?"

"The paper." I gestured to his desk. "That one."

Looking like he had just realized what I meant when really I had a feeling he had known all along, Hakudoshi looked down at the paper. "This one?" he asked in innocent surprise. "It's our homework. …Don't tell me you don't have it."

And like I wasn't scared enough, Hakudoshi just HAD to turn around and stare at me in absolute horror. Geez. You'd think I told him I had a brain tumor or something.

I might as well have one.

Because I have no idea what happens to people in Naraku's class who forget their homework… only I know it isn't pretty.

On the second day of school we had our first homework assignment. And like usual, I did it and handed it in the next day. Hakudoshi, the perfect student as always, wrote up a detailed three-page report that made everyone around him take a hit on their self-esteem. Every student in the class did their homework… except one.

That one was a boy who had sat in the back, who I hadn't noticed before it seemed like he was in danger of losing his life. He wore chains, gothic makeup, and had messy, unkempt hair with a variety of strange dyes in it. And when Naraku asked him for his homework, he spit in his face.

So Naraku gave him a detention. And on the fourth day of school, I didn't even recognize him.

My eyes strayed to where the boy sat now: in the front row, hair groomed and brown, clothes clean and preppy, skin free of makeup, and arms sans explicit tattoos (the more I'm thinking about it, the more I'm wondering how I missed him on the first two days of school).

His homework lay on his desk, neatly typed.

If Naraku can do that to a bad-boy spit-in-your-eye druggie type… WHAT WILL HE DO TO A TERRIFIED WANNABE PRIESTESS?!

I had probably seconds before Naraku walked into the room, smiled and greeted me, asked for our homework, saw I didn't have it, and sentenced me to my doom. "Doom" in this case may refer to death, torture, insanity, or brainwashing. I would IMAGINE that my parents would object to ANY of them. But I also suspected that they might not mind if I came home a helpful little goody-two-shoes.

If that ends up being the case, my mother better PRAY that I never become unbrainwashed again.

"Hello Miss Higurashi. Hello Mr. Hakudoshi."

The six words that spelled my doom.

I immediately began my goodbyes:

Say goodbye to your family, Kagome. Say goodbye to your grandpa's possibly senile ravings and your mother's mildly freaky way of knowing EXACTLY what you or anyone is feeling at any moment and voicing it aloud like you'd admitted it. Say goodbye to your brother's obsession with snowballs and video games. Say goodbye to your sister and her rather problematic tastes in men. Say goodbye to Miroku and his perverted tendencies and Sango and her aggressive nature. Say goodbye to Inuyasha and his way of getting under your skin one moment… and then making you feel like doing something insanely stupid… like blushing… the next moment….

"Miss Higurashi? I didn't receive a hello from you. I was wondering if you were all right?"

Maybe it's just me, but it sounds more like he's wondering which organs should be the first he pulls out of my body.

I refused to look at Naraku, to look at his friendly face, while I managed to say, "Well… I…"

Well what was I going to say? 'Well, I forgot my homework, so you can rip my brain out of my body now and replace me with a good little clone?' Obviously not. He could use that against my family in a court of law when and if they decide to sue for damages.

I'm not THAT stupid.

"Are you sick, Miss Higurashi?" Naraku asked, voice inflected with the perfect amount of worry.

"Oh, no, I…" for the briefest moment I considered telling him I was sick. I could. I could tell him I felt sick and needed to go to the nurse… and then I could lie down in the nurse's office the whole period. And then I could get the assignment from Hakudoshi and do it after school and bring it in tomorrow and—best of all!—NOT DIE!

When it's a question of life and death, I think that telling one little lie is forgivable. But for some reason, I couldn't say it.

And then I wondered if I didn't need brainwashing to be a goody-two-shoes. Maybe I AM a goody-two-shoes.

I didn't think I was… but then why couldn't I just say the lie?

"I'm not sick," I said, feeling more nauseous than I'd felt even when I had a fever of 102. "I'm fine."

Somebody out there, ANYBODY, please explain to me: if I can't lie to save my life, WHY CAN I LIE TO KILL MYSELF?!

Naraku smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."

Like hell you are.

I watched numbly as Naraku walked to his desk, not so much as looking at any of the other students. Less than a minute now till second bell rings. Forty seconds… thirty-five….

WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!?!

"So, what are you going to do?" Hakudoshi asked nonchalantly.

I stared at him. "What _can _I do?" I moaned, fear of Naraku overpowering my fear of Hakudoshi.

Hakudoshi seemed to contemplate it, and then he said, "You don't have to be so afraid. Naraku's a teacher. He'll probably just take a few points off for a late assignment."

I shook my head obstinately. "He'll give me a detention."

Hakudoshi smirked. "He won't give you a detention."

"Why not?!" I hissed.

But Hakudoshi was unfazed by my evident panic. He just smiled at me, leaning back in his chair… utterly relaxed and completely confident. "He won't give you detention," he promised. "Trust me."

Even though he didn't particularly emphasize the "you," I felt like for his meaning, he should have.

I wasn't sure why that didn't comfort me.

The second bell rang, and instantly the class went completely silent. Nobody wanted to experience the eerie cold or darkness again, like had happened the first day. You don't need to ask twice in Naraku's class. Actually, you DON'T ASK twice in Naraku's class. Period.

And then Naraku smiled and opened his mouth, and I knew he was about to say the words which would condemn me.

"I'm glad to see that everyone has their homework. Doesn't that make you feel so much more accomplished than lying back and being the pathetic, wasteful slobs that so many teenagers tend to be?"

I could only stare.

"It does? Good. I'm glad, because I don't want to waste my time battling with pathetic, wasteful slobs. It's my job to cultivate you all into intelligent, mature young adults."

Naraku had never missed an absent homework assignment. EVER.

"And although of course I don't need your cooperation, it makes everything much easier if you help out."

Which left me at the assumption that….

"So now, if Takano will stop doodling on her desk, we can begin the lesson."

Naraku had neglected to mention me on purpose.

Hakudoshi looked over at me… and winked.

It was difficult to concentrate on the lesson, but I managed. Well, somewhat. I have a feeling that in awhile, when I need to study and I look over the notes I'd taken today, I won't even remember writing them.

The bell rang and I hurried to collect my books. But still I managed to be one of the last ones to get ready to leave. Hakudoshi had been waiting for me, but to my relief, after a few seconds his expression changed. "I've got to go," he said, smiling at me. "See you later, Kagome."

I glanced at him, startled. "Oh. Bye, Hakudoshi."

He nodded to me and swept out of the classroom. In a way, I was relieved… Hakudoshi always unnerved me. But for some reason, I had a feeling that his sudden departure should not comfort me.

How right I was… for at that moment, I heard it.

"Miss Higurashi… may I speak with you for a moment?"

At the sound of his voice, every muscle in my body turned to stone.

And crumbled.

**A/N: And that was some Hakudoshi and Naraku for you guys! Not too much Hakudoshi, unfortunately… but eventually, there will be more action with him! I just need to figure out what it is… . Thank you so much for reviewing! I got lots of reviews, I'm ECSTATIC! So here's to the amazing, awesome, unfathomably cool people who reviewed: bear lover, Skittle Dog, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, beautiful-surreal, EmoKittenz, LunaP, k, Daichilover, SuperHarryPotterNerd, ai, iheartinuyasha, babydoll465, Roses Kiss, Tomatosoup inc., (anonymous cause you didn't give me a name, sorry! :D) (), and BGuate224! REVIEW, people!!! I'm hoping for nine or more! Four days give or take! ^^ **


	38. Words of Power

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry about the late update! Here's the chapter, read and REVIEW!**

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: WORDS OF POWER

Slowly, agonizingly slowly, I turned around to face Naraku.

And jumped.

Naraku laughed that horrible, friendly laugh, and said, "I'm sorry, did I scare you?"

I sucked in a breath. In. Out. In. Out. That's right, good job, Kagome! You figured out how to breathe!

Considering as Naraku was now mere _inches _away from me, I thought it was my right to be proud.

"Sorry," I said nervously. "You were just closer than I thought you were. Um… what did you want to talk to me about? Sir?"

Naraku smiled slightly, sitting on a desk. After a second of hesitation I sat down as well… partly because it seemed like he was giving me permission, and also because I was worried that I was about to faint flat on my face.

"There's no reason to be so nervous," Naraku said… almost bemused. Bemused. He seemed… bemused.

But how could he be bemused when he knew perfectly well why I was nervous?!

I had to concentrate on breathing again, but when I got my breath back, I had a few seconds for my mind to explore a corridor it had never ventured down before. And when I opened the door, a door so far away, all the way down the end of the corridor… I saw something I had never noticed before.

Naraku.

My eyes widened, because I finally remembered the name Kaede had told me, when she was talking about the Orb of Night, the Sacred Jewel… and the evil mastermind half demon that had coveted it.

Naraku.

_NARAKU?!_

It was all I could do not to scream like an idiot.

"Miss Higurashi," Naraku purred, "I just want to have a little friendly talk. Teacher to student. That's it. Is this not a good time? Do you need to be somewhere soon?"

Mute, I shook my head.

Naraku smiled, and I wondered what he would have done if I'd told him that actually, yes, I needed to get the heck out of their as fast as my legs would carry me. But I didn't want to know the answer to that question… and that's why I hadn't told him what I desperately wanted to.

"Good," Naraku said. "Then let's just talk for a few minutes, and then you can be on your way." Shifting slightly, he leaned in a little. And I found myself too transfixed by his face to look away. I was paralyzed… and completely helpless.

"Miss Higurashi, you seem to be a very… unique girl." When I said nothing he continued, "And I can't tell you how pleased I am to have you in my class." He grinned slightly and said, voice low as if he were telling me some joke that he shouldn't, "And I'm sure you'll be pleased that you're in _my _class if you ever meet the other science teachers."

I didn't laugh. I couldn't laugh… even if I had found that remotely funny, I couldn't have laughed.

Because that was the moment when I realized that I was completely paralyzed.

And not just metaphorically.

I tried to scream, but I couldn't open my mouth. All I could do was sit, eyes on Naraku's face, somehow managing to keep on living even when I felt like I couldn't breathe… somehow managing to survive the terrifying pressure with which his massive demonic aura crushed me….

"I want us to be friends. I want you to excel, Miss Higurashi, like I know you can."

I'm sure I'd be excelling a lot more if I wasn't COMPLETELY TERRIFIED of him….

"Do you think we could be friends, Higurashi? Would you be all right with that? I see you're friends with Mr. Hakudoshi… that's good. You seem to know whom to ally yourself with. A valuable trait. And he is quite brilliant… but you, Higurashi. You could be so much more than he ever could. And that involves… so much more than… doing a… simple… assignment…"

Was it just me, or was his voice… _changing?_

Was it just me, or was his voice morphing into the voice of another? A silky, tenor voice, a voice which could lull me to sleep, a voice which whispered deceit into my very mind… a voice which was just a voice, a voice which did not need a body to terrify me… a voice which was all too familiar, and which I _SHOULD NOT BE HEARING HERE…._

"Kagome…"

I knew that voice.

Suddenly I felt that I could speak again. "What… how are you here?" I demanded. But my voice trembled too much to sound firm enough to be a demand.

The voice laughed lightly. "Don't sound so sad to see… oh, I'm sorry, to _hear_ me. Did you really think you could evade me, Kagome? After all you know about me, did you think a simple Expulsion Pulse would banish me forever?"

My eyes widened, and despite my fear, despite Kaede's warnings, I found myself responding to it.

"It's too far from the shrine," I said. My voice cracked. "You shouldn't be able to be here. Kaede told me—you need the energy from the Orb of Night to sustain you. You shouldn't be able to be here!"

My voice rose to a scream, jumping several decibels in volume, and I could feel a wave of hysteria building up in my throat.

I could hear a smile in the voice's voice when it said, "We can't have you screaming, can we?"

I could only shake in fear.

_Don't speak to it, _I told myself. _Don't speak to it, don't speak to it, don't say a word… don't… just stay quiet, it'll go away… LISTEN TO KAEDE, for once in your life…!_

Listen to her. Listen to her when she says that it can control me if I talk to it.

Listen to her when she says it can control me.

And as if a rock had dropped in my stomach, my eyes widened. It was ALREADY CONTROLLING ME.

And the first order of it's reign had been not to scream.

_NO! NO, NO, NO!!!_

"There's no point, Kagome," the voice said almost apologetically. "Just go along with it, okay? If you don't put up much resistance, I might not hurt you after we get the Orb of Night."

I had spoken for too long. I knew that, and I tried _so hard _not to speak anymore… but I couldn't. It had me just where it wanted me, and we both knew it.

"Stop saying my name," I growled. "Why do you have to call me Kagome every other second?!"

"Well, Kagome, a bright girl like you should be able to figure it out for yourself."

"Stop it! Go away!" Body shaking, I leapt to my feet and grabbed Naraku by the shoulders. "Naraku! MR. NARAKU! What are you doing?! Where are you? Can you _hear _me?" I sobbed hollowly. "PLEASE!"

Please. Anybody.

I stared at Naraku's face, shaking him vigorously, willing him to come to his senses, willing for the voice to disappear and Naraku to look at me and smile in that horrible, friendly way and give me a detention for not having my homework… even for Naraku to brainwash me. Even that would be better than this.

"Go away," I whispered. "Please."

I could feel the strength draining from my body, just like I could see that wherever Naraku was right now, whatever he was seeing, he wasn't seeing anything out of those blank, foggy eyes.

It was just me, the voice, and Naraku's body. And for all that me and Naraku could do, it might as well have been the voice and a few of its henchmen.

Although one of its henchmen happens to be terrified.

"Kagome…"

Don't speak to it. Don't listen to it. Don't hear it.

Block it out.

"Kagome, you're not deaf, I know you can hear me…"

Block it out.

"Kagome…"

My breath caught in my throat.

"Kagome…"

I was choking, I was choking on an oxygen-less atmosphere and I couldn't breathe. I was falling, I was falling through a growing darkness and I couldn't see….

"KAGOME…"

I was dying… and speech was my air.

I needed to breathe.

"_KAGOME!_"

Finally… a voice I _wanted _to hear.

"INUYASHAAAAAA!" I screamed his name to my heart's content, all self-restraint obliterated, my fear of the voice suddenly overcome by a surge of hope.

"Don't speak to him, Kagome," the voice ordered. I was a henchmen, I was powerless against it, we all knew it… it knew it. But despite that knowledge, even I could tell that the voice had lost its casualness.

"Go away!" I sobbed, my restraint lost, my strength gone. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha called again… why was it that he only seemed to say my name when he was angry or worried for my life?! Why should my name sound so _horrid _coming from his voice? Was that why he never called me Kagome? Because whenever he did, it would sound like… this?

Like agony.

"Don't speak to him, Kagome," the voice threatened. And then I felt the slightest brush of a finger on my waist.

"Don't touch me," I growled.

"Kagome, don't be difficult."

"STOP SAYING MY NAME!"

There was a silence.

Then, "…what did I say about yelling, Kagome?"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Inuyasha's voice. And I wanted so badly to answer him, to tell him I wasn't talking to him, to tell him to please come, to never stop calling my name or else I might forget it's mine at all….

My eyes opened wide. And with as much effort as if I were to pull apart concrete bars, I opened my mouth and screamed.

"INUYASHA, HELP—"

"I'M COMING, WENCH! JUST HOLD ON!"

But how long would it take him to reach us?

"Kagome…" that wasn't Inuyasha's voice. "Didn't you hear what I just said?"

Of course I had heard. And I had disobeyed. Only I knew that that would be the last time I disobeyed, for my strength was spent.

Tears welled up in my eyes. "I did," I whispered.

I heard triumph in its voice when it said, "Good. Then do as I say."

Inuyasha burst through the classroom door. And I began to sob from the overwhelming force of my relief.

Because I had been about to say, "I will."

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, eyes lighting up with unconcealed relief when he saw my face. "I heard you yell—your scent—I found—I thought…" Inuyasha stopped suddenly, quirking his head to one side, in such a dog-like way that I probably would have laughed if I hadn't been so terrified. "Oi, wench," Inuyasha finally said. "What were you screaming about? What the hell… what's wrong? Where's…"

He looked around the room, looking utterly bewildered, until his eyes landed on Naraku.

"What the hell…" Inuyasha stared at me, and I opened my mouth to answer him, waiting for the voice to touch my neck and tell me not to speak. And I knew that when it did, my mouth would close… because I had no more energy left to resist.

But it didn't say a word.

For a second I couldn't breathe, for fear that if I moved just the slightest bit, it would come back, that it would awaken from whatever sleep it had fallen into. But it was silent… and I was just as silent.

What if I had lost my voice permanently? What if I could never speak again?

I had the strangest, most frightening thought, then. What if when I opened my mouth to say his name… it was not _my _voice which floated out, but _its _voice, _the voice?_

What if it lurked inside me, waiting for me to speak so I could unleash it on Inuyasha?

"Oi. Wench. What's wrong? You were screaming like crazy, I thought you were being attacked or something… where's the demon? Tell me there's a demon, wench. Cause if I just sprinted down here from the other side of the school only to find out you just got a detention or something…." Inuyasha glared at me. But I didn't speak.

Slowly his face turned into a frown… his ears twitched. And then he strode right up to me and grabbed my shoulders, holding me in front of him while his eyes pierced my face. "Did you lose your voice or something? What's wrong with you? Usually you can't shut your mouth for the love of all the world."

My eyes narrowed… and another tear dripped down my cheek, because he was right. I _couldn't _shut my mouth for the love of all the world. Not against the voice.

"W-wench? What are you doing? Are you—why the hell are you crying?!"

"Kagome!" another voice called… a male voice.

I sighed. I should have known that if Inuyasha could hear my distress with his demon hearing, then Koga would too.

Maybe we'd have an audience soon.

"Kagome, what's wrong? What happened? I heard you crying…" Koga inhaled sharply and hissed, "What the hell are you doing here, mutt?" He rushed to my side, knocking Inuyasha's hands away from my shoulders. "Kagome, did he hurt you? Kagome? Kagome, will you please speak? Kagome! Kagome, _what did he do to you?_"

"I didn't do a fucking thing to her, wolf shit!" Inuyasha growled. "So lay off, and get your hands off of her."

"Well then what happened to her?" Koga glanced at Naraku. "And what's wrong with _him?_"

"I don't know," Inuyasha snapped irritably. "I just got over here and found them like this. Oh, that's right, because I got here BEFORE YOU."

"Well obviously you haven't done anything to help, mutt!"

Inuyasha looked about ready to kill. And I had a feeling that if I didn't do something soon, he might do it, too.

"KAGOME!"

I could only look up at Rin as she raced into the room, flying into me, flinging her arms around me. "Kagome!" she yelped, stepping back to look up at my face. "Kagome, what happened? I saw Inuyasha running down the hall, and Koga, and me and Sango and Miroku followed them and we heard you screaming and we thought you were hurt!" She took a deep breath, and suddenly seemed to realize that I hadn't said a word. "Kagome? Are you okay?"

"Kagome!"

"Kagome!"

Sure enough, Sango and Miroku were here, too. So now I had a little crowd of friends all around me, almost choking me with their bodies, and all perfectly ready to beat the truth out of me.

It would be like beating the truth out of a mute. But it'd still probably hurt.

"Oi, stop crowding her!" Inuyasha snapped. "Everyone back up a step, okay?"

Rin, to all our surprise, glared at him. "She may be your friend, but she's my best friend and sister. So _you _back up a step."

Sango and Miroku stared at her. Even I stared at her.

_Rin _was talking back to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha grimaced. "Keh," he said. He looked away from her, away from me… away from all of us. And it began to occur to me that something about her words had hit him hard in the gut.

Though for the life of me, I had no idea what it was.

But Inuyasha, being Inuyasha, didn't listen to Rin… although he _did _back up just a little, to give me some breathing room. But he seemed determined to be the leader of the interrogation.

"Wench. What happened? What's wrong with Naraku? What did he do?"

Would he want me to answer all those questions… if he really knew the truth? If he knew that at the word of a bodiless voice, I would steal the Orb of Night… or kill him… without a second's hesitation?

If he knew my fears, would he want so badly for me to speak?

I opened and closed my mouth like a fish out of water. And for all my composure, I might as well have been one.

"Kagome, tell us what happened," Sango ordered, voice low. "Look, everyone knows Naraku's a freak, okay? If he did anything weird, we'll believe you." She grinned. "You know, chalking it up a little bit couldn't hurt, either…."

Miroku smiled at me. "Kagome, we're on your side."

Rin bit her lip and whispered, "I need you, Kagome. I need you to be okay."

"Kagome…" Koga took my hands in his, "Please, Kagome. Just speak. You can trust us."

"You sure as hell can't trust _him_," Inuyasha growled, slapping Koga's hands away. He almost seemed to debate with himself for a second, and then he put his hands abruptly on my upper arms. "Wench…" Inuyasha growled threateningly, "If you don't say _something _right this fucking second, I'm going to go get my sword and run it through Koga's head."

"Hey! I resent that."

"Well, she knows I wouldn't run it through anyone _else's _head!"

There was a dead beat of silence while I considered my options. I could remain silent for the rest of my life. I could drift through the years, day to day, never speaking a word. I'd get used to it eventually. And then if the voice ever came back… I'd be ready for it. I wouldn't need to speak to it. I would ignore it, and eventually… it would ignore me.

Minus the fact that Koga would have a gaping hole in his skull, the idea of muting myself was beginning to sound extremely appealing.

"Inuyasha."

He barely looked at Sango. "_What?_"

Even I was surprised by his response. Not by the word, not by the way his eyes never left mine… but by the pain which his voice betrayed.

By the fear which flared up in his golden eyes.

"I have an idea."

Inuyasha went extremely still, his hands frozen and rock-like on my arms. "Then _say _it, for god's sake!"

Sango rolled her eyes at his impatience… but then she saw it. She saw what I had seen, she saw the pain… she saw the fear.

And her eyes softened.

"Inuyasha, you're the one who's always been able to get her riled up," Sango said quickly, as if fearing he would interrupt her before she could finish. "I know you can say something to make her talk. Just say something… say something she can't ignore."

It made sense, really. It was a pretty good idea. But if they had any inkling of the storms thundering in my mind, she would have known that it could never work.

"Like what?" Inuyasha hissed. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know better than I do!"

Inuyasha grimaced, swallowed, and glared at me. His face tensed and he hissed with exertion, as if trying to fight off some unseen force, some horrible, brutal attacker which targeted only him… and then suddenly he relaxed. "I… I know what to do," he muttered… and looked at me, and seemed to let go, seemed to lose all his self-restraint, to let his fear and pain overcome him. And I saw one thing in his eyes before they began to turn red.

That thing was trust.

That was when I knew that I didn't have a choice at all.

"Don't you _dare_."

Rin, Sango, Miroku, and Koga all breathed sighs of relief, while Inuyasha and I looked into each other's eyes. In his eyes, the amber began to overtake the red. And I smiled.

"Keh," Inuyasha said, stepping away from me a little, removing his hands from my shoulders. "Don't be so smiley, wench. If _that _hadn't gotten you to talk, I'd have been pissed."

I took a deep breath, teaching myself again to breathe, and trying to suppress the overwhelming fear which pressed against me from all sides. "Well," I said, "I talked. So you don't have to be pissed." But then I blinked, realizing something. "Inuyasha, how did you make that happen?"

His eyes darkened and he looked away from me, folding his arms across his chest. Inuyasha muttered, "I didn't have to _try_, wench."

And I knew what he meant. I knew that he had felt the transformation coming on, felt it on the horizon, beginning to overcome his mind… and he had released the last strand of self control he had managed to hold on to. In the hopes that I might care enough to speak, enough to stop him.

When I realized just how much faith that must have required, when I realized that Inuyasha, the one who hardly trusted _anyone, _had put that faith in _me_, to SAVE me, I could only stare at him in awe.

Rin looked earnestly at me. "What happened, Kagome?"

I felt all their eyes on me. And I knew I couldn't put it off any longer.

I'd begun talking already. And if the voice wanted to take me over, it could. It was too late.

So I opened my mouth to tell them what had happened… and Naraku sat up.

I jumped nearly a mile in the air, holding onto whoever happened to be near me almost automatically, holding on to them for dear life, as Naraku rubbed his eyes and looked around him.

And swiftly stood.

"What… happened, here?" he said finally, as if confused to find himself here at all. His eyes focused on me. "Miss Higurashi? Could you tell me what your friends are doing here? And are we finished with our discussion?"

I gaped at him… and was suddenly too afraid to speak.

"Yeah, you're finished all right," Inuyasha growled. "Come on, Kagome."

I felt myself being pulled out of the room, with all my friends around me, with all my friends supporting me… protecting me.

I felt myself walking down the hall, but I barely saw the walls.

I felt my mouth moving as I told them everything that had happened, but I didn't hear the words. I barely heard or saw anything. It was like moving in a dream, living blind and deaf and lost, knowing only that you are moving… but not where you are or to where you are going.

There was one thing, though, that I _did _notice.

And that was Inuyasha's face. That was the way his hand tensed on my shoulder as he and Sango pushed me down the hallway… that was the way his eyes hardened into cold amber stone.

That was the way he looked like he wanted to find the voice, grab its invisible body, and rip its invisible throat out.

Very, very slowly.

**A/N: Okay, that is it! I have a few things to say now... first, to the probably many people who are wondering how long this story is going to be and when certain people are going to get together, I have absolutely no idea! My stuff tends to run on the long side, so... well... I hope you have patience and will not get bored before the end! Now, I will give out my thanks before I give you guys some bad news. So I thank the following people a billion times over: beautiful-surreal, xXthenextbookwormXx, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, k, Daichilover, BGuate224, SuperHarryPotterNerd, Tomatosoup inc., Skittle Dog, lilmama, ai, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, ally, bear lover, mika, and LunaP! I love you guys, all of you, and of course the rest of my readers even though you AREN'T REVIEWING :P. So please don't take it personally and please don't hate me too much when I say I may have some trouble updating over the next week or so! :(. That's not definite. Who knows, it might end up being pretty normal. But it also might not. See, for one thing I'm in a show and opening night is in six days, so rehearsals are really crazy and unfortunately they plus homework cut into my writing time a lot. Plus my bio final project is coming up soon, and I have a big test I need to study for this weekend and… ERGH! I'm feeling nauseous just thinking about it. Anyway, well, I hope you guys liked the chapter! PLEASE REVIEW! For my regulars, my wonderful, faithful reviewers, please continue to do so, I love hearing your input!! And I encourage all new readers/reviewers to review, too! It would make me very happy and give me extra encouragement to write and update, which I'm really going to need as I have a feeling next week I am going to be absolutely exhausted if my fatigue right now is any clue! So please, review, guys, and I'll hopefully see you again in a few days!**


	39. People and Their Other Personalities

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: OMG HIIIIIIII! I AM BACK FROM THE DEAD, I KNOW, IT'S GREAT! I'm so excited right now. I got to write yesterday for the first time in over a week. It's been hellishly busy here on my end, and I'm so sorry for the wait, but… well… here you go, read and review!**

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: PEOPLE AND THEIR OTHER PERSONALITIES

"I told ye not to speak to it, Kagome."

I looked away from her, unable to meet Kaede's eyes… knowing they would be filled with disappointment. "I know. I'm sorry."

I would have thought that if I had been through all this (which I have), and if after confessing all this (which I did), all my mentor had been able to say was, "I told you so," I would have been really annoyed. Extremely annoyed. As in, top level of the KagoMeter annoyed.

But I wasn't. Instead, I felt ashamed.

"I'm sorry," I said again, hands in my lap, staring at the table. I watched the fragmented tea leaves skate gracefully around the surface of my tea… so near the brim of the cup, for I had yet to take a sip.

Kaede nodded, sighing. "I know that," she said. "And I do understand how difficult it is… but if you do not want to be possessed, you must be able to overcome the challenge."

"But what if I can't?" I asked earnestly. "What if I'm just not strong enough? Kaede-sama, why do they want _me?_"

Why? Why does every dangerous demon in Tokyo automatically seem to gravitate to _me? _ME?

"I would assume," Kaede said slowly, taking a delicate sip of her tea, "That they wish to use ye, child, to obtain the Orb of Night. Because you can hold it, and because you are a new priestess—and therefore vulnerable—you are the perfect target."

Now isn't _that _what I want to hear?

"Wonderful," I grumbled. "Just wonderful." Looking away, I said, "So, I'm vulnerable. I'm a perfect target, cause I'm completely and totally helpless."

Kaede smiled a little. "Perhaps," she admitted, "But also because ye are strong. If ye were not something desirable, they would not be coming after ye."

Laughing, I said sarcastically, "Doesn't that make me feel better!"

"Don't be cynical, now," Kaede said. "If ye want to be strong, ye must believe in yourself."

I raised my eyes from the tabletop to stare at her. First she tells me to commune with rocks, and now this.

I sighed. "That's kid stuff, Kaede. I've learned that with some things, you can _believe _all you want, but… it doesn't help."

Suddenly I didn't want to talk about this anymore. I didn't want to talk about all the times when _believing _had let me down… when faith had failed to help me through… or to help me help someone _else _through….

My fists tightened.

Kaede put one of her hands on mine, gently, as if _I _were the breakable one, and not she, the old woman. "Kagome," she said quietly, consolingly, "I do not mean for you to close your eyes and chant, _I think I can, _whenever you see a strong demon." I smiled despite myself at that, and she smiled back at me, and continued, "You have to believe that you are capable of working toward the strength which you need. Otherwise, you will never be able to achieve it."

Something about her words gave me the strength to believe them. "I _will _apply myself," I promised. "I'll do the best I can. But what if I can't become strong in time?"

What if my best wasn't enough?

Kaede slapped the table, making me jump. "Ye must believe that you _can, _Kagome!" she said sharply. She wasn't scolding me or yelling at me, but for some reason, her words stung. Kaede shook her head the tiniest bit, and then sighed and said, "This is what I've been trying to tell ye."

I gulped. "I understand," I said sincerely. "I do. But… what if I can't do it?"

Kaede stirred her tea for several seconds, took another sip, and very carefully placed the porcelain cup back onto its coaster.

"Then ye will die."

* * *

When Friday rolled around, those words were still haunting my mind.

I shook my head. Crazy old woman. What had she been thinking? What _was _she thinking _now? _Really… who says that kind of thing to a poor, scared sixteen year old?

I gulped, because I knew the answer to that question.

Somebody who is really, really HONEST.

I banged my head against my locker, cringed, and wondered why I was so stupid. Obviously Inuyasha was wondering the same thing, because he leaned against the locker next to mine and said, "Do you have a self-mutilation problem or something, wench?"

Glaring, I said, "I'm surprised you know what those words mean."

Inuyasha grinned. "Keh. Really, though—cause I always knew you had problems, but I've never seen you trying to beat your own brains out."

I sighed. "I'm not really trying to kill myself. I'm just a little stressed."

"Why?" he asked, as if it were the most reasonable question in the world.

"Oh, I don't know…" I shoved a textbook aggressively between two binders. "Just maybe cause my science teacher is sharing a body with the evil demon voice," I ripped a folder out of my locker, "And your grandma told me yesterday that I was going to die. Nothing much."

Gathering my books in my arms, I slammed my locker shut and faced Inuyasha… who looked like he found my stress extremely entertaining.

"Will you stop looking at me like that?"

"Sure, wench. Whatever you say."

He rolled his eyes, and he and I began walking to Family class.

Despite his nonchalance, how he acted like everything was fine and all the evil Kagome-seeking demons were no big deal, I knew that that wasn't the case. For one thing, ever since Wednesday, Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha had not left me alone. Even Koga tried to get me to let him walk me to my classes… ALL of them.

I sighed at the memory.

Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha were being a bit… shall we say… overprotective? It was kind of nice to know that people cared about me, but I had a sneaking suspicion that after awhile, it was going to get annoying. Not that I minded their protection or company—for instance, when Sango drove me, Rin, and the guys home on Wednesday and Thursday, it was good to have the support of my friends… and as embarrassing as it was, I had to admit that her Acura was growing on me. Sango was a safe driver. I had a feeling that if Inuyasha ever offered to drive me and Rin anywhere, I'd take my sister and bolt.

If it came to a choice between facing a giant demon and facing Inuyasha's probably reckless driving… they both sounded equally lethal.

"Hey, at least we're done with this stupid baby project," Inuyasha pointed out.

I glanced at the baby which he was carrying in a baby satchel—we'd made the baby carrier on Tuesday. I was ashamed to admit that I had yet to name him. "Yeah," I said. "It'll be nice to get a good night's sleep again." I remembered how the kid had kept me up all night crying several nights in a row. But as I looked at the doll, at his open eyes, staring at me… nameless… I couldn't help but feel faintly regretful. "I almost think I'm going to miss him, though."

Inuyasha stared at me like I was crazy.

We took our seats in the class, completely ignoring Menomaru and Gatenmaru as we waited for Suikotsu to enter the room. Well, I completely ignored them. I think Inuyasha might have given them the finger.

I took the satchel from Inuyasha, placing the baby gently on my desk. I looked at it for awhile, just at its face… maybe looking for forgiveness, or for some sign that Inuyasha and I had done _something _right. It wasn't that we'd done anything _wrong_… I just didn't feel like we'd done enough.

Inadequacy. It had never felt like such a forlorn word.

"What are you so upset about?" Inuyasha asked. "It's just a doll."

I shook my head. I didn't expect him to understand. Even _I _didn't really understand.

Suikotsu pranced into the room… and on his face was an extremely disturbing smile.

"Hey guys," he said. Immediately I began to calculate the different possibilities for _why the heck _he was so cheerful. Number one: his stock profits skyrocketed. Number two: his online gambling profits skyrocketed. Number three: he had just thought up a new kind of psychological torture that he could use on his students and sell for a patent. Number four: he had a surprise for us.

"I have a great surprise for you all today!"

I smiled, proud that I had known what he was going to say… and completely terrified of what that surprise was going to be.

Cause with Suikotsu, you never know.

The rest of the students seemed equally disconcerted. There was much shifting in seats and whispered conversations, before Suikotsu clapped his hands to bring our attention back to him.

"I've been thinking," he said excitedly, as if he had just had a miraculous epiphany, "And by _I've been thinking, _I mean I've been thinking for the last four minutes. And so while I was thinking, I started to realize something… and I started thinking about what I realized… and I had a _great _idea, which I'm sure you will all absolutely _love:_

"I'm going to give you guys back your precious babies for _another two weeks!_"

And _that_, my friends, is a perfect example of IRONY.

The painful kind.

So it turned out that not only did Suikotsu have the great idea of extending the project until the Monday after the Monday after next, but he also had an assignment for us this weekend. We had to go on a family outing, all three of us. I had a sudden vision of me, Inuyasha, and the baby doll, sitting by a lake, eating a picnic, and feeding the birds until they began to swarm at us and we had to run for our lives.

I started laughing… and from the looks on my classmates' faces, I suddenly thought that I was about to make myself a lot more enemies.

* * *

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Sango, if you don't stop laughing, I am going to take my textbook and hit you with it."

Tears leaking from her eyes, she bit down on her lip. "Sorry Kagome," she said, grinning from ear to ear. "It's just… well… wow."

"It's not funny," Inuyasha growled. He glared at me. "Maybe this is your fault, wench. Suikotsu could have heard you singing the doll's praises."

"Oh, sure, blame it on _me,_" I said sarcastically. "Maybe he just did it to annoy _you_, cause he knows how much you _hate _the doll."

Rin sighed. "Stop arguing, guys." She smiled angelically and chirped, "If you're going to be taking pictures on your _family outing, _you're going to want to have big smiles… not bloody faces."

"What will you be doing?" Miroku asked curiously. And then he did something which worried me greatly… he smirked. "If you want, I could give you plenty of suggestions… I'm sure I could find a child-safe bar…."

Sango smacked him upside the head. "This is a _family outing_," she hissed to him. "Not a date. Although," she added, grinning at us in a way which made me want to smack _her _upside the head, "It sure is a lot _like _one."

"If I were you guys," Rin said sweetly, "I'd be quiet. That's Kagome's mad face."

Miroku glanced at me, warily, and then at her. "Mad as in angry or mad as in insane?"

Rin's smile widened. "Both."

How right she was.

"Well, we'll figure something out when the time comes," I said. Aiming a glare at Inuyasha, I added. "And before you ask: NO, I will _not _go on my own with the baby and Photoshop your face into the pictures."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Keh."

Typical.

"You guys still haven't thought of a name, have you?" Rin reflected thoughtfully.

I groaned. "Unfortunately, no." As sad as that is. But my eyes brightened and I said, "Well, we'll think about it over the weekend! We've got time… right, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha looked at me as if my perkiness made him want to puke.

And I have to admit, it even sickened _me _a little.

"Come on, cheer up, guys," Sango said, slinging her arms around me and Inuyasha's shoulders, with a broad smile that made me shudder with dread. "Let's do something fun tonight," she said.

I raised an eyebrow. "And you're planning on bringing the _baby?_"

Sango grimaced in consternation, obviously beginning to realize the downsides of toting a wailing doll around Tokyo. I just wasn't in the mood to deal with all the dirty looks.

"Well…" she frowned, and I could see that she was thinking, brainstorming a way to somehow manipulate me so that I would forget about my responsibilities to my plastic, battery-brained child and we could all go to some expensive club Rin and I could never afford.

Sango's eyes lit up… and I groaned.

"Why don't you ask your mom to take care of it for one night?" she suggested, smiling brightly.

I stared at her. "Not that my mom wouldn't be absolutely _thrilled _to stay up till one in the morning listening to a doll scream, but… don't you think it's sort of… I don't know… wrong?"

Sango, Inuyasha, and Miroku stared at me. Rin just smiled sweetly and said, "I knew you'd end up falling for the baby eventually."

I rolled my eyes at that, and found myself blushing. "It's just… it wouldn't feel right. We're supposed to take care of the kid, right? So dumping him with my mom…."

"Would give you a fun Friday night out with your friends," Inuyasha finished for me, "Probably the first one you've had in your _life_…."

"Oh be quiet."

Inuyasha grinned at me. "Look, I don't know where you've gone in Okinawa, but _Tokyo _is a whole different story."

I grimaced. "Believe me, Inuyasha. I know."

I'd meant it to diminish Sango's enthusiasm, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.

"That's it!" she said, chin jerking upward. "We are going to give the doll to your mom and take you out to the city tonight—whether or not we have to knock you out to do it!"

I stared at her. "Are you planning on knocking my _mom _out, too?"

"I'm sure your mom won't mind," Sango said dismissively, as if she knew my mom personally, as if she'd ever SPOKEN to my mom in her LIFE. "It's for bonding purposes—between you, Kagome the nay-sayer, and the lovely city of Tokyo. This is your new home, and you need to get used to that."

Miroku grinned. "Just wait, Kagome. We can show you the world."

"Miroku, don't quote Disney movies," Inuyasha muttered. "It's really weird."

"Take you wonder by—"

Sango hit him on the head.

"He wasn't even saying anything bad," Rin said, cringing for Miroku.

Sango sighed. "Rin," she explained patiently, "When it's Miroku, there's _always _a double meaning."

Rin and I exchanged a glance… because we knew it was true.

So somehow, we all ended up in Sango's car, and Rin and I spent the whole ride back to our house wondering exactly what could ever be perverted about _Aladdin_. But by the time we reached the shrine, I still couldn't think of a thing. So I have to ask myself… does the fact that Miroku could think of something make him creative or disgusting?

Sango, Inuyasha, and Miroku leapt out of the car, waiting expectantly for me and Rin to follow. I sighed, glancing over at Rin… only to find that she was already out of her seat.

Enthusiastic little traitor.

Grumbling my usual nonsense, I grabbed my backpack and the baby, and opened the car door. "You guys owe me, big time," I said, stepping onto the driveway.

"Nope," Sango said brightly, "You owe _us_, big time." After a second of thought she added, "And your mom."

Rin laughed, and even I managed a grudging smile.

The five of us approached our door, and secretly I hoped that my mother would not be home… even though I knew that that was irrational. So I sighed, rang the doorbell, and waited.

"Why are you so against Tokyo, again?" Miroku asked me in honest confusion.

I grimaced. "Just because."

"Because what?"

"Because she's a hopeless wench," Inuyasha said, grinning at me.

"Just you wait until I have my purification powers…" I growled, having a sudden vision in my head of me, Invincible Priestess Kagome, towering far above all my humble subjects, with a whimpering inuhanyou with gorgeous silver hair kneeling at my feet, begging for mercy….

I didn't even have time to wonder when I had begun to accept that Inuyasha's hair was gorgeous, because my mom opened the door.

Dang it all.

"Hey, guys," she said, smiling cheerfully in that kind way she has… which happens to be the biggest deceit I've ever seen in my life. If you ever see her when she's mad, you wouldn't even dare to _think _the word "kind."

But people get taken in every time. Maybe they're just stupid.

"Kagome…?" Mom tilted her head to the side in obvious confusion. "Is there any particular reason you're glaring daggers at me, or is it just practice?"

_Practice?_

I decided not to question that, and instead glared and grumbled, "I was hoping you wouldn't answer the door."

She smirked. "Well… then I have to wonder why you would ring the doorbell…." She winked at me, and then brightened when she saw Rin. "Rin! You don't look like you want me to die," she said happily. "So, since Kagome's otherwise occupied, could you introduce me to your friends and tell me what you are doing that Kagome so badly doesn't want to do and involves my help?"

Sometimes it's hard to remember that I am her biological daughter and not Rin. Cause I swear, they can both read minds.

Rin smiled, bright as always. "These are our new friends, Sango, Inuyasha, and Miroku. Sango's a demon slayer, Miroku's a pervert, and Inuyasha's the one Kagome was complaining about all last week until Saturday."

I wonder how long I would be grounded for killing my sister?

I stared at my mother in horror, because it was obvious from her face that she knew what Rin was talking about. How had she known? I hadn't talked to her about Inuyasha… only to Rin. And usually it was just complaints… very rarely yells! Well, okay… maybe a few times. Once in awhile. Once or twice. Once a day. Once an hour….

"Ouch," Miroku said, looking at Inuyasha wish sympathy. "Looks like she _really _hated you."

Inuyasha seemed to be deciding whether to respond with cynicism or laughter. _I _was deciding whether it was worth it to lie and say that the insane blush on my face was actually a skin disease.

Inuyasha laughed. "Keh. Didn't know I was famous, wench," he said, smirking.

"Shut up, you're not famous, you're _infamous_," I corrected him.

"But I thought we were friends…?"

"We are!" I said hastily, while doing a mental face palm. I'm a sucker for puppy dog eyes. And seeing as Inuyasha's part dog demon, I probably need to fix that. "But before Saturday, we weren't." Glaring at Rin, I said, "I only complained about you once… or twice…."

Rin started to giggle, and I began to think that no matter how long I was grounded and/or locked away in an asylum, it would be worth it.

"Oooooh." To my horror, my mother narrowed her eyes dangerously at Inuyasha. "So you're _the _Inuyasha."

There's something you should know about my mom. Usually, she's all smiles and charm… but when she gets mad, she's _mad. _

Her eyes blazed like fire… and even though we're friends, it did please me a little to see Inuyasha begin to shrink back.

"W-what are you looking at me like that, for?" he demanded. "Wench, your mom's crazier than you are!"

I sighed. "Mom, let it go. He's not as much of an idiot as he seems when you first meet him."

Inuyasha smiled proudly… and then realized what I said.

"Hey!"

A single word, just my mother uttering his name, brought all our eyes back on her deadly face. "Inuyasha…"

I started to fear that she would tell him off for everything he'd done to me. And sure, he _deserved _it, but I'd already done enough yelling at him in the past… and I definitely didn't want him knowing how much he'd hurt my feelings. And since my mom's an almost-mind-reader, she probably knows exactly how much.

It's in the past. I'm not even mad at him for it anymore… and I don't want to be embarrassed by it NOW!

"Mom," I said, "Come on, it's fine. We're friends now. Sure, he's a jerk and CAN'T PRONOUNCE MY NAME, but that's just the way he is. Inuyasha can't help it."

"Wench, I can help it fine!" Inuyasha retorted, sounding extremely scared.

With a strained smile, I hissed, "You're not really helping your case here…."

"Inuyasha… Takahashi." We stared at her. My mother frowned at him. "You're the boy who… hmm."

Hmm?

HMM?

I stared. "You're not going to yell at him or anything?"

Rin and I were scared now. Really scared. And then my mother smiled excitedly, effectively paralyzing us with fear.

Behind that excitement, she's hiding sadism. I swear.

"Nope," she said happily. "Why would I? I like him!"

I blinked. Once. Twice. Three times.

"Huh?"

But she was all in enthusiasm mode, now. Face alight, smile wide, she leaned forward and did something which made me want to scream with envy.

She rubbed Inuyasha's ears.

WHAT? Just like that? Just like that, she leans over and rubs the guy's ears? Without permission or any warning at all? Just touches his head like she might say hello to one of her friends? JUST LIKE THAT?

Inuyasha jumped, slapping her hands away.

"Hey, cut that out!" he growled. Something about the picture, though, was very, very funny. And soon Rin, Sango, Miroku and I were all giggling.

Inuyasha stared at us. "What?"

We kept laughing, and his stares began to morph into death glares.

But his dog ears were still twitching.

**A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you for waiting so long! Please, you've got to understand that it's been crazy. And I'm afraid it's going to get crazy again soonish, so I decided to update while I could. Thank you to you amazing people who reviewed: Roses Kiss, EmoKittenz, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, k, babydoll465, iheartinuyasha, lilmama, beautiful-surreal, xXthenextbookwormXx, SuperHarryPotterNerd, Tomatosoup inc., inukag01234, LunaP, Suzeheart, Daichilover, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, BGuate224, hihi123, bear lover, and luvInuyasha4evaandeva! Now, there are two of you I believe I have to address directly, since I can't use pm. First, lilmama: of course I would be happy to read your story! But could you leave a signed in review for this chapter, so I can access your profile? It'll make it easier to read your story! :D. And second, to EmoKittenz: I am so sorry if I forgot to thank you in the last chapter! Usually I give people a shout-out in my A/N if they review, so if you reviewed and I somehow forgot you, I'm so sorry! And also, I know that my update pace has been killing you, and I feel bad that I can't make it faster than four days min—for you and everyone. So I'll thank you extra here! Thanks again to EmoKittenz! Twice! Now we're even :).**

** Everyone, thanks for your patience and for everything! Next chapter will probably be up within the week. Though that depends on how crazy it gets with finals and projects and stuff. I'm SO looking forward to summer. And I have to let you know that it may take a chapter or two longer than I thought to get the kotodama in, sorry about that—but in order to update, I can't have megalong chapters, unfortunately :(. Well, thanks a billion times, all of you, please review, I appreciate it so much! You're all awesome—yes, even the people who read and DON'T REVIEW, you are awesome too although I would greatly appreciate a review :P—and hopefully I'll update soon! See ya! **


	40. As the Ground Shifts

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: OMG AGAIN! I AM BACK FROM THE DEAD (AGAIN)! These last few weeks have been hellish. I spent my ENTIRE MEMORIAL WEEKEND, from morning to night, working on my bio project. I better have gotten a good grade on that thing, or else I swear, somebody is going to die… anyway! Please don't yell at me for the late update, guys. I feel really bad, take pity on me, I haven't been able to write for two weeks until today, and I'm so sleep deprived that I'm not even tired. It's having a strange effect on me. Anyway, read and review! I really need reviews right now for moral support! Thank you so much for sticking with me! :D**

CHAPTER FORTY: AS THE GROUND SHIFTS

"I think it's a great idea!"

I stared at my mother in disbelief. "Did you hear us right?" When she continued to glow with disturbing optimism, I glanced at Rin. "Did we say it right?" I muttered.

Rin just smiled. "It's Mom. Why are you so surprised?"

I had to admit that that was true… and a small smile crept up my face.

"Just… well…" I glanced uneasily at Mom. "You're just fine with that? Staying with the baby until we come home?"

"No, no, that won't do…" she muttered to herself, making us all jump in confusion. Then she looked up. "Why don't you two sleep over?"

There was only one conclusion I could come up with: my mother is trying to get rid of us.

"That's so great, Mrs. Higurashi!" Sango exclaimed. "Thank you so much, really."

"Oh, it's nothing," she said dismissively. "You're right—it's a perfect opportunity for Kagome to bond with Tokyo!"

I folded my arms across my chest. By this time even I wasn't sure why I didn't want to go, but I had appearances to keep up.

"It'll be fun," Rin said, smiling at me.

"Well, that depends on where we're going," I muttered. Glancing at Sango, I asked, "Where _are _we going?"

She, Inuyasha, and Miroku exchanged a glance… and then grinned.

"We've got the perfect place," she said, eyes bright.

Oh god. You don't have to know Sango long to know that look.

My hopes of a cheap outing began to dwindle.

Sinking lower in my chair, I started to panic. How on Earth would I pay for everything? We'd probably be going to a club or something, and then shopping, and who knows what else… maybe skydiving or something, it's not so far off when you're already in TOKYO….

There was no way we could afford this. Not if Rin and I combined all the savings we made in a year could we afford this.

I glanced at my mother, wondering why she didn't appear to see the problem.

"Mom…" I began, voice low.

She looked at me. "Kagome, it seems like you're about to suggest a reasonable problem. What is it, honey?"

"Well…" I looked to Rin for help.

"Oh, that reminds me," Mom said suddenly. "You two will need money, right? So nowhere too expensive, then. And—"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Higurashi," Sango said confidently. "We're taking care of everything."

My mom stared at her for a second, before blinking and saying, "Oh, no, of course not. We couldn't ask you to do that. Just wait a moment, Kagome and Rin, I'll go get my wallet—"

"It's okay!" I said hastily. "We can bring ours, you don't have to pay for it."

My heart began to sink… because I'd just remembered that after our last shopping trip, there was next to nothing in our wallets.

"Hey…"

We all looked at Inuyasha in surprise. He glanced at us and said calmly, "We'll take care of everything. You guys don't need to bring money, cause… uh… Sango won't let you use it, anyway." Why did I get the feeling that it wasn't just _Sango _he was talking about? "And besides," he added, grinning a little, "We have more than enough money to pay for everything."

"Just let me give you—"

"Oi." Inuyasha seemed to have lost patience, so he said with his usual tact, "Have you seen my _house? _Believe me, we're not gonna be feeling any loss, and neither will Sango and Miroku."

My mother sighed and smiled. "I don't care how rich you all are," she said, laughing a little.

Sango and Miroku looked embarrassed. Inuyasha just rolled his eyes at them, as if to say, "What? It's the truth."

Mom continued, "I'm giving Kagome and Rin money, and that's that."

And that WAS that.

She disappeared up the stairs, leaving us standing in the kitchen.

"Well… your mother is very interesting," Sango said, grinning at me. "I like her."

I smiled. "Of course you do. Everyone likes her."

"I can see where you get your beauty, Kagome…"

This time I was the one who got to hit Miroku on his head.

"I'm just surprised she didn't chew you out," Sango said to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha nodded in agreement… I think we all agreed. "Hell, me, too. For a second, I thought she was gonna bite my head off or something…" And then Inuyasha glanced at me and asked the question I'd been praying he wouldn't. "What was she talking about, anyway? Why am I _the _Inuyasha?"

In a normal situation, he probably would be smirking right now, and I'd be fuming or shifting one foot in irritation… to avoid using it to kick him. But this wasn't a normal situation, and he wasn't smirking.

I WAS shifting my foot… but it was in nervousness.

"You're _the _Inuyasha cause you're the only person I've ever met who's named _Inuyasha _on their birth certificate," I told him, smiling and wishing my mother and Rin could have a little more respect for… well… NOT trying their best to make me freak out?

"Keh," Inuyasha said. "I'm glad about that, wench. It'd annoy the hell out of me if I had to turn around and hear somebody saying _Inuyasha _every other second."

Sango smirked at me and Rin and whispered to us and Miroku, "That's only because it wouldn't be HIM they're talking to."

We giggled… Inuyasha looked ready to kill. But compared to the danger I'd felt myself in before, this was nothing.

"All right!" Mom enthused, coming down the stairs. She pressed cash into my and Rin's hands. "For you, and you. And," she stepped back and looked at us, "There's just one condition I want you to meet."

Oh no.

I groaned. This was going to be good.

"Don't give me that face, Kagome," she reproached. She looked at us, eyes wide and begging. "It'll be fun! Just listen. Just do this for me, okay?"

I smiled wryly. "For the cash in our hands, you mean?"

My mother laughed, just like I knew she would, and said, "That, and for a night without a crying baby doll. I think it's a very generous offer."

Well, I couldn't really say if I thought it was a _generous offer _or not until I knew what the offer WAS.

But she told us anyway.

"When I was a little girl, there was a holiday around this time that was called Givers Get. Well, it's not a holiday, really…" she trailed off, eyes hazing over, seeing a time far away, when she and her three sisters all sat around the living room, with Grandpa watching them and smiling big. It probably wasn't a very big house… maybe about the size of our apartment in Okinawa…? If that?

A ray of sun pierced the haze in her eyes and she almost seemed to reanimate. "It's more of a tradition!" Mom announced happily. "And the day of Givers Get should be soon—tomorrow, I think! So what we would do, everybody would put their name in a hat—twice. And we would draw until everyone had two names their own—and you could have the same person on both slips, although it was often a little annoying when that happened. No one knew who the others had. And then you have to get gifts for them—well, we usually made them, but you guys don't really have time and I'm sure you could find something at the mall—and on the day of Givers Get, you would give each other the gifts!"

"Like gift exchanging!" Rin said enthusiastically.

I smiled a little… her enthusiasm was contagious. And I had to admit that my mother was right… it WAS a very generous offer. A sleepover, a trip to the city, and no baby doll for twenty-four hours… and the only thing she wanted from us was to buy each other gifts? No chores, no I.O.U that she could hold over our heads and whip out at any moment, nothing?

Just to play Givers Get, an old tradition that had gone out of style?

Behind my smile, I frowned slightly at my mother, wondering what her motives were.

"Exactly," Mom said, smiling broadly, eyes shining with some unexplained joy. "Except you're not necessarily EXCHANGING gifts, because you might be getting something for someone who didn't get your name. Or vice versa."

Sango grinned. "Sounds like a lot of fun."

Inuyasha grimaced. "Gift exchanging is—"

"Absolutely wonderful," I finished for him, elbowing him unnecessarily violently in the rib cage.

I could feel his eyes glaring daggers into my skull. Good thing my mom was a witness.

Laughing, my mother said, "Thank you, Kagome. Now, give me the baby, and all of you… go have fun."

So we did just that.

Gave her the baby, got in the car, and started driving… me still wondering about my mother's inexplicable happiness.

"What do you think…?" I trailed off, looking at Rin.

She smiled sadly at me. "It's nostalgia," she replied. A statement, not a question. She said it as if she knew it for a fact. "Mom didn't grow up in the best financial situation. I bet she and her friends and sisters never went out to any city. Or almost never, at least. So she doesn't want to deprive us of that… but at the same time, she wants us to enjoy the little things, too."

Rin smiled brightly, and I began to contemplate _her _inexplicable happiness.

Deciding that that was one feat I would never manage, I shook my head and smiled, leaning back into my seat. And then I mustered the courage to very slowly unclench my fingers and count the money my mother had given me.

A ten. A five. Five ones.

Twenty dollars.

Last month's savings.

I love my mother so much, it hurts.

"You ready for Tokyo, guys?" Sango asked, grabbing me and Rin and pulling us out of the car.

"Careful, careful," I complained. Aiming a grin at Inuyasha, I glared at Sango and said, "You might make me bump into some rude, obnoxious jerk."

Rin and I began to giggle, and Sango and Miroku frowned at us… and then exchanged a glance which suggested they were silently discussing our psychological health.

Inuyasha grinned at me. "Hell knows I don't want to do that again."

"Same here."

"Great, you're agreeing, that's definitely a sign of a stable friendship," Sango said, glancing warily between us. "So… let's go!"

"Where _are _we going?" I asked oh-so-politely while her hand threatened to break Rin's and my wrists.

Sango grinned at me… and I felt the seeds of panic begin to bubble up in my chest. Suddenly, I regretted even asking.

"First," she announced, "We are going to go see a movie. Second, we are going to go to our favorite club for dinner. Third, while we are there, we are going to put our names in a bag and pick out who we get gifts for. Fourth, we are going to go to the mall and shop. Fifth, we are going to watch a really scary horror movie. Sixth—"

"We're going to wander around the Tokyo streets in pitch blackness, perhaps exploring the fascinations of some back alleys?" I suggested, my eyes bright and my face so strained into a smile that I thought it was going to crack. "Seventh, we're going to take whatever money we somehow HAVEN'T spent and wave it in the air and feed it to the hobos?"

You may think I'm being sarcastic, but with Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha, these are real possibilities.

Sango glared at me. And then she smiled an evil little smile that worried me greatly. "Well, we weren't _planning _on it, but I bet we could find some way to work it into the schedule…."

Just when I was about to agree to the idea with no idea whether it would really be taken seriously, Rin saved us all by chirping, "Let's go to the movie now! But…" she shifted, suddenly shy. "Um… I was wondering…" Rin looked at me and said, "Could we see _Mikoto's Yukata_?"

_Mikoto's Yukata… _I racked my mind, trying to remember what that movie was about. All I knew was that it had won several awards, in acting, direction, music, and… well… okay, pretty much everything. It was obviously a movie with some depth—and that's the kind of movie Rin loves. The thinking kind. Cause she's a thinker.

"It's fine with me," I said. "Sango? Miroku? Inuyasha?"

Sango I was pretty sure would say yes. Miroku… absolutely no idea whatsoever. Inuyasha… well, _he _was the problem.

Sango smiled. "Sure. I've been kind of considering seeing that."

Immediately, the _trying-to-decide _look on Miroku's face was replaced by a _trying-to-win-Sango's-favor-in-every-way-possible _look. "I would be delighted to see it."

Sango beamed at him, and I couldn't help but smile. Rin had found a way not only to save us all from being mugged, but to make everyone happy.

Everyone except a certain spoiled, determinedly non-thinker type inuhanyou.

Inuyasha grimaced. Immediately I said, "Sorry Inuyasha, but you're outnumbered."

And then he said something I had never, ever in a million years expected him to say. "Keh. Might be surprising to you, wench, but I was gonna say yes."

I blinked… I must have heard him wrong. He wouldn't really agree to a movie like that, right? A _thoughtful _movie? A movie without things blowing up every other second?

I blinked again. No. That was impossible.

But just to be sure, I tilted my head to the side very slightly and asked, "You… would be okay with seeing it?"

Inuyasha glared at me with surprising vehemence. "I know you're probably shocked that I've got the brains to appreciate something like that, wench."

And you want to know what the worst part was? He was right. I _was _shocked. And that was when I realized that I had conformed to what he'd expected… I had judged him to be, well, not stupid, but not particularly _appreciative _of _art _either. Okay, fine. I'll admit it.

I'd thought he wasn't smart enough to appreciate it.

Inuyasha suddenly grimaced, going red. "K-keh. It's not like I'll _enjoy _it a lot or anything. I'd still rather see Mikoto's yukata get blown up or something. But… if everyone else wants to go, then, fine… I'll deal. Whatever. Doesn't matter."

I stared at him.

He wouldn't mind seeing it. Actually… I even sort of thought he might _want _to see it. Not as much as blowing up the yukata, of course, but still… something was there. I'd misjudged him.

And maybe it was this realization, combined with the fact that we were about to spend all last months savings and still end up severely indebted to Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha, that made me almost want to cry.

Smiling at Inuyasha, I threatened my tear ducts to death.

"Thanks."

The redness slowly faded from his face as he stared at me… and then he looked roughly away, nearly flinging his hair into my face.

"Keh."

And that was his version of _no problem._

Forty dollars minus two insanely priced movie tickets, two sodas, and one popcorn equals three dollars, in case you didn't know. So my recommendation for you? Unless by some grievous misfortune you are already living here, _never _go to Tokyo to see a movie.

We quieted down when the movie started. I leaned back into my chair. It wasn't a full theatre—the movie had been out for probably a week or two already—and the chairs in front of us were empty. Rin, on my left, stared at the movie, absolutely engrossed. Inuyasha, on my right, leaned back and put his feet up on the chair in front of him, probably trying to figure out what it was about a rainy street and an amazing musical score which fascinated Rin so intensely.

It _was _a fascinating movie. I found myself looking at things in different ways, taking a different approach to the events and characters than I would have in your typical film.

"Hey. Wench," Inuyasha whispered.

He was so quiet, I at first barely heard him. But then I realized he had spoken, and turned to him. "What is it?"

I could barely see his face in the darkness, but I didn't need to be able to make out his expression to realize that it was closer than I'd predicted.

I almost jumped, because our noses were inches apart. But I couldn't find it in me to jump, or jerk back… for it appeared my muscles had gone MIA.

We were extremely silent for several seconds… and during that silence, I began to feel a strange feeling, some foreign sensation, something which made my eyes stay wide and my body stay frozen.

But it wasn't just the sensation that scared me. It was the fact that I kind of liked it.

"Why were you crying?"

I blinked. "Huh?"

I could almost see Inuyasha rolling his eyes impatiently. "Back on the street," he said gruffly. "You looked like you were about to cry."

My eyes widened with horror and shock. Horror, because he'd noticed. He'd seen it after all. How could I have thought he wouldn't? He's a half demon. Even if he didn't _see _it, he would have smelled it.

Only now was the concept that I could hide nothing from him beginning to scare me.

Why was I shocked, though? That's because he was bringing up the subject at all.

"Ah… I…" defaulting to my automatic, pathetic reaction, I lied. "I wasn't crying."

Now he was glaring at me. I was sure of it.

"Sure you weren't, wench. Now give me a _real _reason."

A real reason? He wanted the real reason? He wanted me to tell him that I'd misjudged him, that I'd been like everyone else, taking him for what I saw? It didn't matter that they had thought of him as a disgusting half demon and I had thought of him just as… well… not _stupid, _but definitely not a deep thinker. The same principle still applied. And for some reason, the guilt was suddenly overwhelming.

"H-hey, you're crying again!"

Sniffing, I said, "It's the movie. It's the movie, it's getting to me."

"Don't give me that crap. What's with you?"

Rin looked at me in concern. "Kagome?"

My body froze over.

"I'm sorry," I said.

And then I got out of my seat and almost ran down the aisle, completely aware that I was being irrational and overreacting, completely aware that I shouldn't be freaking out about this. I should be back in the theatre, explaining briefly and quietly, and apologizing. Like a normal person. Not out here in the hallway, with tears streaming down my cheeks.

Ah, hormones.

"Hey."

His voice made me stiffen. My every muscle tensed as if I were preparing for battle… except I wasn't frightened. I couldn't even describe what I was feeling. All I knew was that it was something I had never, ever felt before.

Slowly, he sat down beside me.

"I'm so stupid," I moaned. "Stupid, stupid, stupid…"

"You're not stupid, wench! You're ridiculous, but not stupid."

"Thanks," I said sarcastically. Ridiculous. How flattering.

"W-well it's true!" he stammered. "What the hell are you crying about?"

"Everything!" I sobbed, completely losing my self-control. "Just… I… I'm sorry."

Suddenly, I wasn't apologizing just for misunderstanding him. If only I knew what I WAS apologizing for.

Inuyasha sighed. "Wench, I don't know what to make of you. What've you ever done to me? I mean that wasn't to get back at me for something I did."

I picked my head up just slightly, because his words spoke sorrow. It washed over me like water, settling around his, his sorrow which neither of us could explain. For some reason, it made me want to comfort him… but I was so distressed that for the life of me, I did not know what to say.

At that moment, any words I might have said flew out of my mind.

There it was again, that sensation… the feeling that it was just me and him, sitting so close, with everything else around us beginning to fade out.

And while I tried to recover my speech, the only thing I could do was wonder what was happening to me, and whether it was happening to him, too.

"I…" I took a deep breath, blinking, forcing the walls and the floors and the cashier and the snack bar and the water fountain all to snap back into reality. "I misjudged you."

Inuyasha gaped at me… and then he started laughing. "Wench, this isn't still about thinking I was too stupid to want to watch the movie, is it?"

I winced. "I didn't think you were _stupid…_"

He just laughed, golden eyes filled with humor. "Sure you didn't."

"Really!" I protested. "You may be insufferable and annoying…"

He growled. But my eyes softened, and I continued, "But I know you're smart. I always did. Sure, you don't care much about school and stuff, but that doesn't mean you're stupid. You're NOT stupid."

Inuyasha was really confused by now. He raised his eyebrows and asked, "Then what the hell are you crying for?"

I looked down. I just couldn't explain it. I just couldn't explain that I felt like such a jerk, and I was running out of money, and there was no way Rin and I could afford anything in this city, and we only had a dollar and fifty cents each left, and we'd left the baby with my mom, and I was starting to feel weird, scary feelings… feelings that unnerved me to the core… feelings that filled me with warmth….

"We should probably go back to the movie," I mumbled.

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah."

But neither of us moved.

"Hey. Wench." I looked at him, and he said, "You know, we meant it when we said we'd pay for all this."

"I know that," I whispered. "And that's one of the things I HATE about it."

"What the hell are you complaining about now?"

Looking earnestly at him, I said, "I hate having to owe people things! I hate always relying on other people, being a burden… I just… I hate it."

"You don't owe us anything," Inuyasha muttered, suddenly seeming unable to meet my eyes.

I shook my head. "Just because you don't want us to pay you back, doesn't mean we don't owe you. We'll _never _be able to pay you back for this… not with money. And as long as we can't pay back the debt, we'll _always _owe you."

"Oi!"

I had looked away, but his sharp voice commanded my attention. I looked up at him, suddenly conscious of how close we were, suddenly really realizing that he had come out here just to find me… and comfort me….

"There. Is. No. Fucking. Debt," Inuyasha growled. "Repeat it. Now."

I sighed. "There is no debt," I said very quietly.

He grinned. "Can't curse, still?"

"It's not that I _can't_, it's that I _won't_," I corrected him. "Unlike _you_, who seem to make a hobby of it!"

Inuyasha just grinned at me. And to my relief, I felt my old annoyance flooding back into my head. Nothing gets under my skin like the Inuyasha Grin.

We stood up simultaneously, him still grinning, me with my hands balled into fists. And then I realized that, somewhere along the line, my tears had dried.

I looked up at him, realizing that that had been his purpose all along.

That made me happy enough to fling my arms around him and bury my face in his chest.

"Thank you," I whispered.

I didn't dare look up to see his face, for Inuyasha had frozen completely. And for a terrifying moment, I thought he was going to push me away.

But then his hands reached awkwardly, uncertainly around me, sliding across my back. He was so… hesitant. As if he thought I might realize what I was doing, and push him away, and stammer and stutter and blush and run back to my seat in the theatre. Except I couldn't do that… because, somehow, I was completely aware of what I was doing. It was an awareness I couldn't doubt, it was an awareness I did not question. His arms tightened around me, becoming the ground on which I stood, the will which held me up. Yet that awareness… the fact that I knew exactly what I was doing, the fact that he had the power to dry my tears, the fact that I could feel his hands on my back, and the fact that I liked it… frightened me.

And then he muttered back, "No problem."

I had never felt more secure than the moment when he returned the embrace.

**A/N: Heeeeeeeey! I know that this has been sooooo long. But know that just as many of you may have been driven crazy by lack of updates (hehe not to be conceited XD), take comfort from the fact that I have been driven crazy by school! Hopefully it's dying down now. HOPEFULLY.**

**An extremely enthusiastic THANK YOU! to the following people for reviewing: ILoveInuyasha4Eva, beautiful-surreal, k, Roses Kiss, LunaP, hihi123, xXthenextbookwormXx, Tomatosoup inc., Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, BGuate224, EmoKittenz, Daichilover, SuperHarryPotterNerd, babydoll465, luvInuyasha4evaandeva, lilmama-the one n only, Wings Dipped in Silver, Skittle Dog, and Inuyashafan3! I love you guys, and I can tell you, I really needed those reviews to get me through the last two weeks. You have NO IDEA how much I appreciate it.**

**Anyway, did anybody think this chapter was a little rushed? I don't think so, but I wasn't sure… well, please review, guys! Goodbye for now, I'm not sure when my next chapter will be up, but hopefully it won't be so long! Review! :D **


	41. Why I Hate Expensive Clubs

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hi again, everyone! FINALLY an on-time update, I know, it's a miracle… well, here you go! Read and review :). **

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE: WHY I HATE EXPENSIVE CLUBS

"All right. Is everyone's name in? Twice?"

I almost didn't hear Sango, because there were several things distracting me. The first thing was a couple making out in the back corner of the dance floor… in ways which should never, EVER be done in public. The second thing were the brightly colored, plentiful, flashing, billion-dollar lights zooming around the dimly lit club. The third thing was the loud, blaring music which threatened to burst my eardrums.

The fourth thing was Inuyasha, sitting next to me. Eating his gigantic burger and gulping down his milkshake, watching Sango, who I, had I been paying attention to her, might have noticed was dangling a bag in my face.

But I was too distracted to spare any of my focus for a bag just centimeters away from my nose. And for the sake of… of… I don't know what it was, but it was _something_, and it was really important. So for the sake of this important something, I needed to flush thoughts of Inuyasha out of mind. For awhile, at least… if I couldn't manage more.

I had thought it would be simple, to just act natural, to put aside all that had happened. But as time went on, it had proved more difficult… a lot more difficult. And if I could barely keep my mind off of this _now_, how could I keep my mind away from these paths _later?_

An even stranger, an even more frightening question: did I want to not think about him?

"Kagome?"

I blinked, glancing at Rin, who had said my name, and then realizing that everyone at the table was staring at me. "Oh. Yeah, my name's in."

Sango grinned at me. "Kagome must be distracted by the amazing atmosphere of this extremely popular, awesome club."

I laughed… a bit creepily… and corrected her, "Actually, Kagome is distracted by the fact that she has been dragged into a club where the glasses we're drinking out of probably have real gold rims."

Yes… it was that… it was the fact that we were surrounded by people with cash falling out of their pockets, it was the fact that we were sitting in one of the richest environments in Japan. It was that, and the lights, and the sounds… it wasn't the fact that I was still remembering how it had felt, just an hour ago, for him to hold me in his arms… it wasn't that I was still thinking about his face… and his golden eyes….

"Well, _I'm _distracted by the people," Rin said, eyes roving around the club… nervously, but curiously, too. "Look at everyone! They're… they're…."

Unable to think of the perfect adjective, Rin just shook her head and leaned back into her seat, sufficing for, "So _different._"

I glanced around, eyeing the people on the dance floor and in the tables around us.

_Different_ was an understatement.

"That would be Tokyo for you," Miroku said, smiling. "I have met _very _interesting people in this city."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at him. "Like what? Prostitutes?"

Rin choked on her pasta.

Leave it to Inuyasha to come up with something like that; he is so… so… _juvenile. _That's the right word. Hot-tempered, easily provoked, and his sense of humor said it all… he was just so immature. At least, he seemed that way until… he did something genuinely kind. And then he showed that he was compassionate, that he _understood _things which you might not think he understood. People, for instance. And kindness.

However carefree his face might appear… however cold… his eyes said it all. And I was learning that any time you wanted to know what Inuyasha was thinking, all you had to do was look into his eyes, and you would see everything.

Those beautiful golden eyes which, disturbingly, had really begun to mesmerize me.

Sango answered for Miroku this time. Smiling an unnervingly sadistic smile, she put her hand on Miroku's shoulder and said, "Believe me, if that were the case, our favorite little pervert would not be sitting here with us tonight."

I suddenly had a vividly clear vision of Miroku… in a bed… in a full body cast and comatose.

Across the table, Miroku looked like he was going to throw up. "My dear Sango, I am very glad you have such confidence in me, but your fingers threatening to crush my scapula say otherwise."

Sango grinned and whispered something to him which made the last remnants of color drain from his face.

"Okay!" she said enthusiastically, all thoughts of slow murder evaporating. "Now we're going to draw names. So, who wants to go first?"

"I will," Rin said excitedly, reaching forward into the bag of paper fragments. She pulled out her arm, glanced at the two slips she had chosen, smiled, and nodded.

Miroku went next. He dug into the bag and snatched up two fragments. But when he looked at them, his face fell. He appeared to calm a bit, and said, "I'm not allowed to have my own name, right?"

I nodded, taking the opportunity to force myself to answer him, to force myself to speak… and not think. "That's what Mom said."

He put one of the fragments back in the bag and chose another… this time he smiled, satisfied.

Now it was my turn.

I put my fingers into the bag, digging around for two slips of paper. Taking them out carefully, so that no one except for me could see, I turned them so I could see the names.

And blinked.

"Do any of you remember whether there was a rule against having the same name on both papers?" I asked uncertainly.

Please say yes.

"I don't think so," Sango said. "Miroku? Inuyasha? Rin?"

Rin shook her head at me, and my stomach plummeted. "Mom just said you couldn't have your own name," she said. "So the same name on both should be fine."

Of course. Why hadn't I expected as much?

I looked down at the papers and read the name which was scrawled onto both: _Inuyasha._

I didn't pay attention to everyone else drawing their names… I was too distracted by my own. What was I going to do? It wasn't like I was against getting him a gift or anything, but I had no idea what to get him. What kind of thing would Inuyasha like? A t-shirt?

I groaned. Why couldn't I have gotten Rin and Sango? I could have gotten Rin a new book, and Sango medication for her mood swing problems….

I sighed, doubting that Inuyasha would appreciate either of those things too much.

The only reason I knew when we finished drawing was because Sango was dragging us all toward the dance floor.

"Hey!" I protested, trying to wrench myself out of her grip.

Let me tell you this before you know anything else… I'm not a very good dancer. At least, I'm not an _experienced _dancer. And I didn't relish the idea of getting out there with all these scary people and making myself look like an idiot.

Sango was unrelenting. "Come on, it's a club, you _have _to dance."

"Um…" Rin detached herself from Sango's arm, shoulders beginning to hunch. "I think I'll just stay at the table," she said quietly.

Sango frowned at her. My eyes went to Rin's face, too, but I didn't frown; I understood what she was feeling.

"Why?" Sango asked, confused. "Rin, do you feel sick?"

"Um…"

I could see her getting anxious now, as she stuttered, trying to make an excuse for herself. It hurt me to see her like this… she almost _did _look sick.

"I'm feeling a little sick, too," I said. "We'll just go back to the table, it's fine, Sango."

"Do you guys want to leave? We can—"

"No!" Sango blinked in surprise, and I laughed awkwardly and said, "We just want to sit down, that's all. It's fine, you guys go have fun."

She glanced at the dance floor, and then back at us. "Are you sure? Because—"

"We're sure." Rin smiled a smile which Sango could not doubt. "We'll be fine, San. Don't worry. If we left because of us, I'd feel really guilty. So, go dance, okay? We'll watch you."

Sango looked between us for a moment… and then she sighed. "Okay. But come out onto the floor whenever you want, okay? And if you want to leave, just come tell us."

We nodded, and somewhat reluctantly, Sango left us.

"Thank god," Rin said, sitting back down on the table and exhaling heavily.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "You're not about to faint, are you?"

Rin giggled at that, glaring helplessly at me. "I haven't fainted from anxiety in three years!"

"And your asthma? Is your breathing okay?"

She rolled her eyes. "I don't even have my inhaler with me, Kagome."

I stared at her. "Why not? You should have it, Rin!"

"You're so overprotective," Rin said, giggling again. "I haven't needed that thing for seven years."

I grimaced, glancing away. "Stuff happens that people don't expect," I said slowly. Closing my eyes, I thought about those words… about how completely true they were, and I was learning with every passing day that they were truer. My eyes snapped open and I said, "Don't take it for granted, cause if you die of an asthma attack, I am going to resurrect you and kill you. Slowly."

My eyes must have told her to take the threat seriously.

We fell into silence for a moment, having nothing more to say, until Rin finally sighed and said, "You should go out and dance."

"Are you kidding?" I asked, laughing. "I'm terrible at dancing."

"But you have fun, anyway," Rin said, giving me a sad little smile.

I smiled back. "I wouldn't have fun if you were here all alone, feeling awkward."

She looked away, but I couldn't tell whether it was because she felt moved or guilty.

"Oi. You guys made the right move, staying back here," Inuyasha said, suddenly sliding into the seat in front of us. Rin and I stared at him until he seemed to realize that our mouths were hanging wide open. "What?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Why aren't you out there?" I asked, gesturing toward the dance floor.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "First, I don't dance. Second, Sango and Miroku need some alone time, don't you think?"

If alone time means "alone time with about one hundred other people," then I guess his logic makes sense….

I stared at Inuyasha, trying to determine his motives. But then, mentally, I kicked myself. What was I talking about? What motives? He didn't have any motives other than, maybe, getting Sango and Miroku together. Which was normal, because they were friends and the two obviously liked each other. So why should I be analyzing Inuyasha's face? Why should I be staring into his eyes, trying to read them, as he stared back into mine? (Probably wondering WHY I WAS STARING AT HIM).

"Hey. Wench," Inuyasha said quietly, not breaking eye contact. "You okay?"

Not able to endure the almost intimate connection anymore, I broke it. I let my eyes wander across the club, from the teenagers sitting at the bar, most likely with fake IDs, to Sango and Miroku, dancing beside each other, a bit awkwardly, it seemed, on the dance floor, and then to a couple in a table across the room from us, obviously on their first date. The girl was light-haired, clearly shy, and from the way her eyes strayed repeatedly to the dance floor, it didn't take a genius to tell that she wanted to dance. Unfortunately, the boy seemed to be not only not a genius, but stupid, too. He missed her hints.

Or maybe he was just nervous? Maybe I was being too critical? But despite my doubts, I found that I was almost _longing _for him to ask her to dance. I found that it almost caused me pain, to see them sitting in silence, the girl with her hands on the table and the boy nervously fingering his napkin. My chest ached, a terribly acute pain collecting in my entire body until I wanted to stand up and scream: _"YOU IDIOT! ASK THE GIRL TO DANCE, DANG IT!"_

But seeing as that would probably draw strange looks from our fellow club patrons, I restrained myself.

I sighed, tearing my eyes away from the boy and the girl, away from the dance floor, away from the bright, flashing lights and Rin's disturbingly thoughtful expression and Miroku's tentative approaches toward Sango and Sango's shy (albeit suspicious) glances toward him. I detached myself from it all, focusing my eyes on the surely expensive table which we sat at… and I let myself float away, float away in my mind. When had I become so interested in other people's relationships? When had I started to feel _pain _for them? I didn't even know that boy and that girl, for crying out loud! Why did I want so badly for them to see that they liked each other?

"Oi. Wench. What's the matter with you?"

I blinked, staring at Inuyasha. Had he spoken? How many times had he called for my attention?

"What's the matter with you?" I retorted. Suddenly I felt strange, suddenly I felt nervous. Suddenly, for some unfathomable reason, I wanted to get up out of the chair and run… to just flee, to flee from this table and this room and this club, and the feelings that were spinning around inside me, under the influence of the blaring music and the tantalizingly lights.

"Keh," Inuyasha said, and I couldn't help but look at him again. His dark eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes focused on me as if he were trying to read my expression… and for a second my eyes focused on his face, his unreadable face, and then on his eyes, his golden eyes which seemed like windows leading to the depths of his soul.

But then he rolled those eyes and said, "Why aren't youout there dancing, anyway?"

I mimicked his expression. "You think I would dance _willingly_, Inuyasha? You think I'd make a fool of myself without a partner to dance with?"

I'm not sure why I said that last part… it just came out, I suppose. My words were no longer my words, everything was spinning, I was so _confused…_ it was the lights, I decided. The lights, and the music, and the smells were overloading my senses, jumbling my feelings up. It was all their fault. Nothing to do with me. Not at all.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, and for a second I forgot that Rin was even sitting beside me. For a second it was just me and him, and the dim lights, with the music throbbing dully in the background… for a second, I could have sworn he was going to ask me to dance. With _him._

But seconds pass in the blink of an eye.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed infinitesimally, and then he scoffed and laughed and grinned, just like he always does… grinning that grin that makes me want to rip his mouth off, makes me wonder why in the world I would EVER imagine him asking me to dance… and why I would actually dare to imagine dancing with him.

Now _that _was a question for which I had no answer.

"Keh," Inuyasha said. _Keh _is really a word which belongs to no one else. I swear, Inuyasha must have it copyrighted. As if he could see my annoyance, Inuyasha grinned wider and said, "I don't know if you'd do that, wench, but it'd be pretty funny to watch."

You see? There's no sensitivity there. No depth. If his eyes really, literally were windows to his soul, they would probably lead to darkness. No. Not even that. Just _grayness. _Flat, boring gray.

I don't know what I would have said if we hadn't been interrupted, but I'm glad we were; I was getting really, really sick of this club, and if I'd had to sit there one more minute, the music might have pounded my brain out through my nose.

"You _pervert_," Sango seethed, storming up the steps off of the dance floor and up to our table. Turning a death glare on Inuyasha, Rin, and I, she muttered, "We're leaving. Now."

"What'd we do?" I whispered meekly to Rin.

She sighed. "I don't think we did anything, but it doesn't take a genius to tell who _did_."

Sango left cash for the check and stomped away from the table, flinging the door of the club open before any of us could even stand up. Miroku, left in her wake, looked utterly ashen.

Inuyasha groaned. "Miroku, what the hell did you do now?"

"I did not do anything!" Miroku said mournfully, eyes plaintive. "It is all a misunderstanding."

Inuyasha snorted. "Misunderstanding, my ass."

"Really!" Miroku exclaimed. "It wasn't me! We were dancing, and… it's all a huge mistake!"

Rin and I exchanged glances, wondering just what kind of "mistake" it had been.

"So you're gonna tell me someone _else _touched her ass, and she jumped to conclusions and blamed poor, innocent Miroku, who would never even _dream_—"

Miroku stiffened, straightening up haughtily. "I make no claim to have never done anything in the past. But I promised Sango when we started dancing together that I would not… ah… _try _anything, and I kept my promise! Only she…" he sighed. "I suppose I deserve to be framed."

Miroku trudged toward the door, and after exchanging a glance, Rin, Inuyasha, and I followed after him. And soon we were outside the club, breathing in the… I wish I could say _fresh _air of Tokyo. But for some reason, when free from the intoxicating, almost compressing surroundings of that dimly lit club with it's blasting music, it felt as if I had never tasted more cleansing air in my life.

**A/N: Hiiiiii! Thank you so much for all your reviews and support! FINALLY I updated on time, I am ecstatic, and looking forward to your reviews! Now, thank you to Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, Skittle Dog, k, xXthenextbookwormXx, BGuate224, beautiful-surreal, Daichilover, ai, InuDstories, Roses Kiss, Bunnyz, Island Heart, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, Chelsea, LunaP, EmoKittenz, Tomatosoup inc., lilmama-the one n only, and carinaxox! **

** Now I will address some suggestions and concerns. Firstly, I would like to do an Inuyasha pov, and I plan on it. I considered making this one an Inuyasha pov, but I'd already started this one, and doing a whole new chapter would make it take much longer for me to update, and I felt that after waiting about two weeks for the last chapter and nearly two weeks for the chapter before, you deserved a quicker update :). But I agree, Inuyasha must be heard! **

** Now, for those of you who are concerned about how the kotodama will affect Inuyasha and Kagome, I'm going to say, just don't worry too much. I don't blame you for worrying, because I understand you might have concerns, but you will see how it will be handled. Just chew on this… seeing as I've worked this hard to finally get Kagome and Inuyasha to be friends, and to get Kagome to even begin to FATHOM that she has feelings for Inuyasha, do you really think I'm going to wreck that for a kotodama? XD**

** I appreciate that you are telling me not to rush it :). It will be coming, but I completely agree, it would mash up the storyline to come so suddenly… don't worry. Just wait and see, and REVIEW! :D **


	42. Don't Trust Guys With ThreeEyed Cows

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hi again, everyone! Chapter 42 is here, school is out this Thursday, and I am sooooo happy (so please read and REVIEW and make me even happier ^_^). Also, side note: I know that at some point in a past chapter, I said that Totosai was a teacher at their high school. Please disregard that, will you? I know it's a cop-out, but for the plot of this story, Totosai's going to be someone different now! Gomenne! **

**Read and review!**

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO: DON'T TRUST GUYS WITH THREE-EYED COWS

The mall looked even bigger this time than it had when Rin and I first visited it. If that's even possible.

"Okay!" Sango said excitedly, clapping her hands together. "Time to go find each others' gifts—so we should split up."

"Sure," I said nervously, imagining myself wandering around in this gigantic mall, getting lost, and spending the rest of my life sleeping on a bench near a crepe stand.

As delicious as crepes are, that was not what I wanted for my future.

"Everybody ready?" Sango said. "We've got an hour and a half before we have to meet back… ah… here! By this map!"

Inuyasha, predictably, rolled his eyes, probably thinking that this was the stupidest thing he'd ever done and he didn't want to waste his time getting other people presents anyway. Excitement lit Miroku's, Sango's, and Rin's faces, so with Inuyasha standing beside Miroku, it provided quite a contrast.

I felt sick to my stomach. And in just the span of a few minutes, I was standing alone, watching my friends disappear into different stores and halls… with only my two _Inuyasha _papers for company.

"Okay," I said with what I hoped was enthusiasm. "Energy. Let's go, Kagome! You can do this!"

Right. Of course I could.

I fingered guiltily the money which Inuyasha and Sango had leant me… well, more like forced on me. But even I had to admit that chances are, I wouldn't have the luck of finding two presents which I could buy for four dollars total.

I groaned, forcing myself to move, wishing I could have brought more money, wishing I had a _job. _Wishing Sango and Inuyasha had told me whose money they'd given me, so I could pay them back. Except I sensed that their neglecting to tell me whose money I was now holding was not an accident.

Now was the hard part: what could I buy for Inuyasha?

When it came right down to it, I had no idea. None at all. Despite the fact that he was my friend, despite the fact he had saved my life and protected me several times, I still couldn't think of a gift he might want.

That depressed me. So I resolved that I would find _something _he would like. There was no way he would be laughing at my present.

I wouldn't let him.

Striding forward with new purpose, I scanned the stores. Even I knew that he probably wouldn't want any new, stylish clothes… or jewelry… and I desperately hoped he wouldn't want a tattoo coupon. But then what could I get him that he would want… and didn't already have?

A cold dread crept up my spine.

Inuyasha was rich. Inuyasha lived in a mansion. Inuyasha had a gigantic room entirely devoted to video games and television, and he probably had a whole separate movie theatre, and in-line skating rink, and maids, and butlers, and trampolines and pools and who knows what else. So what could I get for him? What could I possibly get that he didn't already have?

I checked the cash in my hand… what could I get that he didn't already have and that cost less than fifty dollars?

Collapsing on a bench, it hit me that there was absolutely nothing.

"Hey, Kagome!"

At first I didn't recognize the voice, but when I looked up to see a little boy with bushy red hair and a tail jump into my lap, I broke into a wide, if bemused, grin. "Uh… Shippo! What are you doing here?" When he smiled guiltily, I glared at him. "Shippo, if you are going to curse me to one of those Buddha statues again…."

"No! No!" Shippo protested. "I wouldn't do that to you. I still feel kinda bad about that… but anyway, why do you look so sad?"

"Where are your parents?" I asked, confused.

Shippo grinned an angelic little grin that made me want to hug him tighter and never let go. If you can forget that this little fox demon once sealed you to a statue and almost left you at the mercy of your Ex-Worst-Enemy, you really see that he is completely ADORABLE!

"They're out," Shippo said. "I was with a babysitter… except I got away. I asked to come to the mall, and she brought me here because she always does whatever I tell her to! She's such a sap… stupid old lady." Suddenly seeming to be struck with inspiration, he said, "Kagome, you should come babysit for me!"

"What? Um, I'd be happy to. I can't right now, though…" I trailed off, eyes saddening, wondering again just how I was going to get out of this predicament.

Shippo's lower lip jutted out in a way that made me want to cry. "What's wrong?" He tilted his head to the side.

I groaned and told him. I guess I'm a sap, too.

Shippo thought about it for a little, and then said, "There's probably nothing you could buy him that he would want."

Some people just don't beat around the bush, do they?

"Thanks for the encouragement, Shippo," I said, rolling my eyes.

"You're welcome!" he said cheerfully. "It sucks that you got stuck buying stuff for Inuyasha… he's so stupid. He wouldn't appreciate it."

"He's not really that bad," I said quickly. Shippo gawked at me, and I said hurriedly, "Inuyasha and I are sort of friends now! He's not mean to me anymore… I've learned things about him I never would have guessed otherwise."

Shippo stared at me like I had lost my mind.

"Stop looking at me like that!" I grimaced, kneading my forehead. "I need to get him something. I don't care what it is anymore… if there's nothing, so be it. But I have to have two presents for him by the end of this hour and a half, so… will you help me? Please?"

Shippo sighed. "I don't like the idea of helping you to get that bozo something he'll _like…_"

"Please?"

I tried to make puppy dog eyes, although I had a feeling that they would be nowhere near as cute as Shippo's and also ineffective on little kids.

Shippo's ears twitched, and he grimaced. "My babysitter's calling me, so I gotta go soon. But… you could try a store called _Spiritual Origins_. Fifth floor."

I nodded, hugged him until I thought he might choke, and cried, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Aaah!" Shippo squealed. "Just don't choke me!"

I released him, grinned, and ran for the stairs, waving goodbye. Behind me, Shippo stared at me as if not only had I lost my mind, but I had left it on the floor beside the bench.

Fifth floor, here I come.

Spiritual Origins was not what I was expecting. Although seeing as it was called _Spiritual Origins, _you would think I would have been expecting something sort of like this.

My first thought was that it was an antique store. But looking closer, I realized that all the items in the store had some kind of significance, whether being spiritually empowered or being some ancient, important artifact from long ago. From a giant sword hanging up on the wall to an empty jam jar, every item in the store had a legend attached to it.

"Miss? Can I help you?"

I whirled around and stared at the man I saw. First, because he had come from nowhere. Second, because he was riding a large cow… with three eyes.

"Ah…"

My mother has taught me not to stare at people with deformities, not to stare at people with disabilities, and pretty much not to stare at anyone, human or demon, who looked different. Cause staring is rude. But never did she cover what to do when an old man appears out of nowhere on top of a three-eyed cow.

Or maybe it was an ox. I wasn't really sure.

"Hi?" I tried.

The man wheezed a little, and I wondered if he had even heard me. "Hmm…" he trailed off. Then he cocked his head to the side in genuine confusion. "What is your business here, Miss?"

I had no idea who this guy was. I assumed he was the store clerk… either that or a really weird creeper. But either way, I decided to take my chances.

"I'm looking for a gift," I said hesitantly. "For a friend."

"What manner of a friend is this?"

I stared at him. Never having been asked before what _manner of a friend _someone was, I could only ask, "What do you mean?"

The old man sighed a little. "A good friend… a bad friend… demon… human…."

"Half demon," I said. "And… well… he is a good friend. He can be annoying, but he's very loyal."

He nodded. "I see."

I waited for him to say something else… but he said nothing. And suddenly he fell silent, and I began to wonder whether he actually planned on talking at all.

I turned around and walked over to one of the shelves, eyeing the merchandise.

"Miss?"

"Kagome," I said, turning around briefly to smile at him.

The old man grinned a crooked, toothy grin. "I am Totosai, master of swords and of this shop. Now, I would like to help you find a gift for your friend. Tell me, is he a fighter?"

I grinned to myself. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Does he have a sword?" Totosai inquired.

"Yes," I said. Then, remembering, I added, "He doesn't like it, though. He says it's a piece of junk."

"Hmm…"

Totosai's voice faded, and after waiting a few moments to see if he would say anything, I resumed my search. Let's see… bow and arrows… no, I really couldn't picture Inuyasha as an archer… and I didn't think Inuyasha would wear something this old-fashioned, whether it was made from the invincible fur of a Fire-Rat or not… and surely such things didn't really work, anyway….

"Ah, the robe of the Fire-Rat," Totosai said. "A valuable item, Kagome. If your friend is a fighter, this could be just what he needs."

I frowned, looking at him. "But… I mean… it says it can withstand all kinds of attacks! Fire, arrows, steel… that can't be possible…." I trailed off. Why couldn't it be possible? After everything I'd seen, after everything that had happened, why was this so hard to believe?

Totosai smirked. "Hold up the robe."

"What?" I blinked.

"Hold it in front of you."

Taking it hesitantly, gingerly as if I were afraid it might rip, I held it in front of my body. "Are you sure…?"

My question was interrupted with my scream, because at that moment, a plume of fire attacked me. Which by any stretch of the imagination isn't what you'd normally expect in an antique store.

I closed my eyes tightly, waiting to feel the pain, the burning, the decay of my flesh… but it never came. And then the fire disappeared, and I realized that it hadn't even felt _hot_.

Peeking out from behind the robe, I stared at Totosai.

"What did you do that for?" I squealed. "I-I might have burned up!"

"But you didn't," he said simply.

My eyes widened, and I gazed with new awe at the red robe I held in my hands.

"Ah… Mr. Totosai? How much would this cost?"

I couldn't believe it. I'd found it, I'd found a gift Inuyasha needed and did not have. I didn't care if he wanted it or not, I didn't care if it looked old-fashioned… I'd make him wear it if I had to pin him down and shove the thing over his head.

"Three hundred dollars."

In that instant, all my hopes and dreams came crashing down.

Face ashen, all I could manage was a small, "Oh." So much for that… now I was back to where I'd started. I mean, it's not like I hadn't _thought _it would be expensive… seeing as it's an invincible robe and all, three hundred dollars seemed like a bargain… but it didn't make me any happier.

Totosai frowned at me. "I'm afraid I can't lower the price for that one, but I might have something which might interest your friend. You say he has a sword, yes? Which he does not like? Well, I could give you a coupon for a sword examination and, if necessary, minor repair. It depends on what its problem is. Then you could give that coupon to him, as a gift, and he could bring the sword to me."

My eyes widened, but before I could let my hopes get up, I asked suspiciously, "So how much would _that _cost?"

But Totosai smiled. "If you buy something else here, I'll give it to you for free."

I could only stare. "Thank you," I finally said.

I followed that up with a grimace. _Thank you? _He offers me the perfect gift for Inuyasha for FREE in return for just buying one thing in this store, _anything_, and all I can say is "Thank you"?

I am stupid. I am really, really stupid.

So because I didn't want to see him raise an eyebrow at my stupidity, I turned quickly and began to rummage through the shelves again.

Bows and arrows, quivers, hakamas, ancient swords, a thousand awesome things, some of which Inuyasha would probably love and none of which I could afford. This was one of those times I almost, _almost_, ALMOST (as in not completely, mind you) wished that I was a money-loaded Tokyo native. Like Sango, or Miroku, or Inuyasha. It would make things so much easier if I could just buy this entire store and get it over with.

"Kagome?"

I turned slightly. "Yes? Um, sir, do you know if there's anything here I could buy with only fifty dollars?"

Totosai pursed his lips and sighed, making an extremely distinct "I HATE DEALING WITH PEASANTS" face.

Stupid, stuck-up rich people with three-eyed fire-breathing cows.

"Kagome, who is this friend for whom you are buying a present?"

I glanced at him, surprised that he would want to know. "His name is Inuyasha."

And then, in just that instant, Totosai's expression changed. It was as if I had told him I was buying a gift for Japan's most wanted murderer.

And as many problems as Inuyasha may have, I hardly think he could have done anything to deserve the look which darkened Totosai's wrinkled face.

"Did you say… Inuyasha?" Totosai asked, blinking. "Inuyasha Takahashi?"

I suddenly began to want that Fire-Rat Robe again.

"Um… yeah," I said, backing up, hand scaling the counter for the red, flame-resistant robe.

As I've never actually said before but will say I always say, Better safe than burnt to a crisp.

My hand touched the robe and I waited… completely prepared to fling the robe in front of my body, should Totosai decide to get fire-happy.

I waited… my body tensed… my muscles coiled… and Totosai grinned an extremely disturbing grin.

"I think I have just the thing for him."

By the manic shine in Totosai's gleeful eyes, it looked like he was plotting Inuyasha's demise.

That probably would have excited me a week ago, but not any more. So I felt obligated to ask, "Ah… 'just the thing' isn't something _dangerous_, is it?"

Totosai blinked, looking utterly confused. Then he seemed to realize something and said as if the words were inconceivable, "Oh… you said you were… _friends _with Inuyasha-sama?"

_Sama? _I blinked in surprise. First, why did Totosai call Inuyasha "Inuyasha-sama"? Second, why did Totosai say it like he wished he could punch the guy in his arrogant head?

"Do you know Inuyasha?" I asked in surprise.

Totosai smiled innocently at me. "We are practically family," he said like the idea strained his imagination. "Hmm…" scrutinizing me, he said, "Your friend, are you aware that he is half dog demon?"

I nodded.

"Well…" Totosai cocked his head to the side and said thoughtfully, "Does Inuyasha-sama ever… ah… _annoy _you?"

I laughed; this guy obviously knew Inuyasha's "Drive you up a wall and straight to hell" side. "You could say that," I said wryly.

Totosai smirked; yep, he definitely got it. But then he frowned. "But he is your _friend? _You are… _friends?_"

Once again, with the disbelief! I almost objected to it, but then I realized that until recently, if anyone had even suggested that I might end up _tolerating _Inuyasha, forget about _befriending _him, I would have told them to get in touch with reality.

"Yes," I said patiently, smiling. "But he still annoys me, sometimes."

Totosai smiled widely. "Do you ever annoy him back?"

Laughing, I said, "I try, believe me. But it seems like whenever I annoy him, he comes up with something that annoys me ten times as much."

I sighed. Some people just can't say stuff that makes people want to scratch their faces off. And when it comes to that, Inuyasha wins first prize.

"Would you like to?"

I stared at Totosai. "What?" I could only say.

Totosai grinned wider. "Would you like to annoy him?"

"Um… yeah, I guess."

Before I could say anything else, Totosai had hopped off of his cow/ox thing and was walking briskly down the aisles. With no reason not to, I followed him, wondering what Totosai could have that he was so sure would annoy Inuyasha.

Totosai held up a necklace.

For a moment I stared at it, thinking he was joking. But he grinned mischievously, clutching the necklace gently in his hands as if he were holding a precious, precious… torture device.

Well, what could I do with a necklace? Strangle Inuyasha? That might have appealed awhile ago, but that probably didn't fall into the category of "gift for a friend." Even if Inuyasha and I aren't completely following the usual standards for friends, I was pretty certain that killing each other crossed the line.

"Totosai… not to be rude, but I… what is this?"

It was a beautiful necklace, composed of purple-black beads and even what looked like fangs. But I couldn't predict whether Inuyasha would think it was girly and be annoyed, or think it was cool. If he thought it was cool… okay, then I got him a good present, but it wouldn't annoy him. And I had to admit that the idea of annoying him was pretty cool. But even if he did think it was girly, he wouldn't be very annoyed.

If Totosai knew Inuyasha, he would probably know that. So that couldn't be what he was planning.

Totosai smirked. "This, my dear, is an extremely ancient, very upscale… dog collar."

Huh?

After a beat of dead silence, I decided he was joking and laughed. And laughed some more. Totosai gazed sternly at me, and my laughter faded. I sighed awkwardly. "Ah… not to be rude, sir, but that can't be a dog collar."

Did he think I didn't have eyes? It was a necklace. A NECKLACE. _Not _a dog collar.

Totosai sighed and said almost hopefully, "You would not be interested by any chance in… ah… _restraining _or perhaps _subjugating _Inuyasha, would you?"

I stared at him.

He sighed and scratched his ear. "He he… didn't think so, didn't think so. In that case, it is very much a dog collar!"

"A dog collar." I glanced again at the necklace, and it looked no more like a dog collar now than it had a minute ago. "I'm sorry, sir, but—"

"Kagome, I must've confused you, sorry about that. Tell me, have you lived here a long time?"

I shook my head. "Only about two weeks. Why?"

Totosai shook his head. "I had a feeling you were new, here… have you ever lived anywhere with demons before?"

I frowned… so was this "dog collar" a demon thing? "No, not before now… why?"

Totosai smiled at me. "Have you ever heard the legend of the kotodama, Kagome? The necklace of subjugation?"

I quirked my head to the side. The kotodama… necklace of subjugation… it rang a bell, but the bell was quiet as it shook, and it awakened no memories. "Just vague things. Why?"

Totosai cocked his head also, and there we stood, two people with our heads tilted in the same direction, probably looking very stupid. "And you are sure you would not be interested in methods of restraint… or perhaps throwing to the ground…?"

Now I was starting to feel alarmed.

"No, no," Totosai said, shaking his head. "Of course not, I'm sorry. Well…."

He glanced at the necklace-dog-collar-thing, and then jerked his chin up and smiled confidently at me. "You probably wouldn't be familiar with this, but the legend goes that the half demon who helped to defeat the evil Naraku, long ago, wore a subjugation necklace, a kotodama, placed on him by his human companion. She could say a word and it would throw him to the ground. Originally she used it for protection, but as they traveled together, they became friends and fell in love. Of course, no such thing exists now, so these kotodamas have become sort of a thing for dog demons—both full and half dog demons. They're almost used as collars, as a joke. They look like necklaces because the dog demons who wear them have humanoid body shapes. Some like wearing these, almost as a fashion, but I can guarantee that it will irritate Inuyasha-sama."

I stared at the necklace-collar with newfound interest. If what he was saying was true, and if what I had learned about Inuyasha so far had any basis in reality, I was certain that it would annoy the heck out of Inuyasha.

I grinned widely. "I'll take it. How much does it cost?"

"How much do you have?"

A little suspicious, I replied, "…Fifty dollars."

That didn't seem to please Totosai, so I assumed that it was worth more. I glanced at the fake kotodama… it must have been made of some pretty rare materials if it was worth more than fifty dollars. But it hardly looked to be made of rare gems… so where did the value come from? Maybe the teeth…?

Totosai pursed his lips and said, "I'll take it."

I stared at him; that hadn't been what I was expecting at all. "Really?" I asked in surprise. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! So much!"

I couldn't thank him enough… and then, remembering who had told me about this store, I resolved to find and thank Shippo, too. Who knew that mischievous, adorable little fox kit could be so helpful?

Totosai looked like he was about to cry from joy. "No, no… thank _you_, my dear."

I handed over the fifty dollars. Totosai wrapped the necklace for me, and also handed me a coupon, as promised. I grinned broadly; this really was the perfect gift. I would give Inuyasha something he would want, _and _I would give him something which would drive him up a wall.

It was so perfect, it was almost unbelievable. And only when I was nearly skipping out of the store, package and coupon in hand, did I realize that Totosai, for whatever reason, was laughing.

**A/N: Hiiii! First, I would like to give special thanks to ANIMEROXS RIN-SESS AND INU-KAG for giving me the idea of how to get the kotodama into this story! The idea for the gift exchange, and for Kagome getting the kotodama without knowing what it was, that was all her :). So three cheers for Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag!**

** Now, I would like to thank my reviewers: Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, Darkness Revolution, beautiful-surreal, EmoKittenz, k, xXthenextbookwormXx, BGuate224, Roses Kiss, LunaP, booklover2thextreme, Daichilover, Island Heart, Bunnyz, Tomatosoup inc., ILoveInuyasha4Eva, lilmama, Chelsea, and bear lover! I love you guys, and all my readers! But please, people… I know there are lots of you who don't review and I would really appreciate it if you do! I can't force you to review, but I love hearing your input and it gives me ideas of what to do next!**

** Review, guys! See you soon, hopefully! :D **


	43. Indescribable

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hey everyone! This is an Inuyasha POV of the events in the movie theatre! I wanted to give you guys some insight into his thoughts. So read and review! :D**

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE: INDESCRIBABLE

INUYASHA POV

SETTING: CHAPTER FORTY, IN THE MOVIE THEATRE

Being friends with Kagome has a surreal feeling. Even now, after we've been friends for almost a whole week, I still catch myself looking at her and wondering why the hell she's not glaring daggers at me and telling me to fuck off. Well, okay. She never really said anything like that, but her eyes always gave her away.

I find myself wondering exactly what this feeling is… this feeling of lightness, of relief, of… _happiness?_

Keh. _Happy. _I narrowed my eyes at the word. It's not that I have anything against it—I mean, anybody who doesn't like being happy is really fucked up—but couldn't they have come up with a better word for it? One that doesn't sound so fucking stupid?

Grinning a little, I imagined how Kagome would shudder if she could hear my thoughts. I mean, she thought that I cursed when I _talked_. I could barely think about how horrified she'd be at my language in my damn _head._

It made me want to laugh.

"Sir, are you going to tell me what you want, or just stand there holding up the line?"

I narrowed my eyes at the cashier. What a fucking moron. Who did he think he was talking to, anyway? The guy couldn't have looked more bored than he did right now… in fact, he looked so bored that he looked like his cheeks were going to sag onto the counter. Not like I blamed him. I mean, if I was some poor person and had to take a stupid job like that, I'd be bored as hell. But still, his arrogant attitude made me want to throttle him.

"Inuyasha!"

I glanced distractedly to see Kagome leaving a nearby line with Rin, popcorn in hand. She waved at me to get my attention—not necessary, seeing as I was already looking at her. I rolled my eyes; stupid wench.

"Inuyasha, you want us to wait for you?" she asked.

"Nah," I said. "Go ahead. I'll catch up."

With a nod and a dubious glance toward the clerk… maybe wondering whether my glares toward the stupid guy meant that the fucker wouldn't live to see the next day… Kagome walked off into the theatre which played _Mikoto's Yukata_.

The clerk gave her a long glance… way too long of one. I saw how his eyes lingered on her legs, traveling up her backside, and being a guy, I know what other guys are thinking when they get that kind of look.

It's the _I'm-a-fucking-moron-who-doesn't-know-his-place _look.

I glared at him. "Get your eyes offa her or I'll do it for you," I growled, voice so low and so deadly that I almost surprised myself. But I had appearances to keep up, so I didn't let it show that I was surprised by my ferocity.

Shaking my head slightly, I wondered what the hell this was. It wasn't like Kagome belonged to me. Why should it be my business if some idiot was checking her out? I don't care. Why should I care?

The idiot glanced at me, and then muttered so low that only I could hear, "I'm surprised a pretty girl like that would stick with a half breed like you."

I sighed. "Fuck off and get me a popcorn."

With a smirk, he did as I said.

My fingers tapped the counter, my entire body rigid. Muscles tensed, senses on edge. With a start, I realized that I was actually preparing to spring… at the clerk. And dismember him.

Though ripping him apart limb from fucking limb might have been fun, it wasn't worth risking the cops. And I had a feeling that getting "slain" by _Sango's dad _wouldn't feel too great.

Call it a hunch.

The clerk handed me my popcorn, typed something into the cash register, and gave me the price. I gave him the money, snatched my change out of his hand, and turned around and walked away. Though not before giving him a long glare and a real good view of my middle finger.

I grinned; I could feel the clerk's indignant glare at the back of my head even as I entered the movie theatre.

My eyes searched for my friends… though in particular, for Kagome. Probably cause she was the last one I'd seen. What other reason could there be? There was none. We were friends. That was all. It wasn't like I particularly wanted to sit next to her or anything….

Unless it was to prove that asshole wrong.

I growled to myself, knowing that it was beneath me to care about something some idiot like that said, and hating the fact that I fucking _did. _Not like it hurt my feelings. When you're a half demon, you learn to block words out. But still… something about it must have bothered me. But what the hell could he have said that would make me _think _about it?

Then I knew.

I spotted Kagome and the others sitting in the seats, and saw that they'd left a spot for me… next to Kagome. Completely ignoring any pleasure that that brought me, I sat down next to her and stewed in my own hatred, at this moment directed to Enemy # Fucking 391: officially dubbed, "Stupid Movie Theater Moron."

Who was he to tell me who Kagome would want to hang out with?

I closed my eyes briefly. I shouldn't think about this… it wasn't worth it. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of making the fucker think I fucking cared about his stupid, pointless insults. Did he think a word like that from some stupid pimple-faced idiot was gonna make me cry? No fucking way.

Moron.

_"I'm surprised that a pretty girl like that would stick with a half breed like you."_

I clenched my fists and breathed in to prevent myself from standing up, walking out of the theater, finding that idiot and bashing his head into the counter. He wasn't worth it. A fucker like that wasn't worth it.

**He is a stupid human. You don't need to be concerned about what he said.**

_I'm not concerned, _I growled. _Kagome and I aren't together anyway. And it's not like we're gonna be, so everything's good._

It doesn't fucking matter. Who cares about what he said? Not me. I don't give a shit what that idiot thinks. I don't give a shit what anyone thinks. I never have, and that's not gonna change any time soon.

Kagome doesn't care that you're a half demon. You know that.

_Keh, hell, of course I know that. Why're you bringing this up now?_

Because obviously, you're worrying about it.

I didn't reply to that; I'm learning that the best way to shut up my stupid voices is to shut up myself.

True to expectations, they didn't say anything.

I wasn't worrying about it. Why the hell would I worry about it? Kagome and I were friends, so obviously she didn't care that I was a half demon… and why should she? She's too smart for that.

But suddenly I opened my eyes, stiffening. Maybe… I was wrong. Maybe the only reason she acted like she didn't care was because we were friends, because we _weren't _together. Maybe it didn't matter that I was a half demon when we were friends… but if we were ever to become something more… maybe my being a half demon suddenly wouldn't seem so insignificant anymore.

_What the fuck am I thinking?_

I leaned back against my chair, kicking my feet up on the seat in front of me. We're not together, we never will be together, we have no desire to ever be together. Regardless of what anybody else says, we're friends. That's it.

Yeah….

But to my relief the movie started, and I took the opportunity to stop thinking.

It was similar to how I'd thought it would be. Interesting, pretty cool in its direction, good acting, all that stuff. Sure, it seemed like something was lacking in the explosions department, but it was a good movie. It kept me thinking.

Just like Kagome… Kagome always kept me thinking. Kagome kept me guessing nonstop.

And then I remembered another thing that I wanted an answer from her about.

"Hey. Wench," I whispered.

Wench… why did I call her that, still? I even _thought _about her as Kagome, now. I'm just used to thinking about her as Kagome. But if I call her Kagome in my mind, why can't I say the fucking name?

This wasn't the time I wanted to think about annoying things like that, so I waited for her reply.

After a brief pause, Kagome seemed to realize I'd spoken. She turned her head a little until our eyes met, and asked, "What is it?"

I opened my mouth to ask her the question… but suddenly all my thoughts went right out of my head.

With my head turned toward her, and her head turned toward me, and our bodies leaning in just a little, our faces were inches apart. I could read her surprise in her eyes, and knew that she, too, felt the proximity which threatened to choke me. Her scent wafted off of her skin in thick waves, engulfing me, muddling my thoughts just as it had done every time since the first.

For a split second I felt my eyes closing, my face relaxing, myself inhaling, felt her vanilla and jasmine scent spiraling around me. But I wrenched my eyes open, realizing that I had leaned closer almost without meaning to.

But with my eyes open, for some reason I found my eyes exploring her face.

Her skin was flawless, unmarred by pasty makeup. And I knew from the time when I had touched her cheek that it felt as smooth, as silky, as soft as it looked.

_What the fuck is this… why am I thinking about this…?_

**Because you like her.**

I decided that I needed a distraction. RIGHT FUCKING NOW.

"Why were you crying?"

She blinked in surprise, saying blankly, "Huh?"

I almost sighed to myself, rolling my eyes. She just had to make it harder, didn't she? Just like her… it was bad enough that I was even fucking asking, and now I had to _explain _it?

"Back on the street," I muttered. "You looked like you were about to cry."

There. I'd said it. Let her make of that what she could… and hopefully, LET HER ACTUALLY ANSWER IT.

Kagome shifted uncomfortably. "Ah… I… I wasn't crying."

How did I know that was coming?

"Sure you weren't, wench," I growled. "Now give me a _real _reason."

One that wasn't a lie or a cop-out.

I remembered the scent of salty tears on her face, the scent I had smelled already a few times on her since I met her… a scent which bothered me more coming from her than it almost ever had on anyone else. It was as if… the scent was _wrong. _It didn't belong there, it didn't have the right to mix with the jasmine, to pollute the delicate vanilla perfume which belonged to Kagome and Kagome alone.

I remembered all the times that that scent had appeared… the times when Kagome had been scared, the times when she had been hurt… the times when it was my fault.

Clenching my fists, staring into Kagome's face, I asked myself, _What the hell was wrong with me? How could I do that to her? WHY did I do that to her?_

The scent was vivid in my mind. The scent that I had caused maybe more times than any other. It was so clear that I could almost smell it… it was as if it was here again, invading the scent that belonged to Kagome, corrupting that scent that was like a perfume and sometimes confused the hell out of me.

But that scent, the scent of wrongness, was growing with a real fucking lot of clarity. And then my eyes focused on her face.

"H-hey, you're crying again!"

And she was. In fact, tears were streaming down her face, falling even as she stared at me. _Kagome…. _A part of me wanted to brush those tears away. A part of me wanted to hold her and tell her not to cry.

But the other part of me was stronger, and I couldn't move or think except to watch the tantalizing tears stream down her face.

_Overreaction, much, Kagome?_

Kagome sniffed. "It's the movie. It's the movie, it's getting to me."

_You're not even watching the movie. _My eyes narrowed. "Don't give me that crap. What's with you?"

Rin shifted slightly, looking at Kagome in confusion. "Kagome?"

There was a beat in which we were all silent. Then Kagome broke it.

"I'm sorry."

She jumped to her feet, climbed over me, and almost fucking _ran _down the aisle like there was a gigantic three-thousand-foot-tall hellhound after her internal organs. We watched, utterly frozen, unable to do anything, as Kagome disappeared from view.

My fists clenched.

_I should've fucking said something._

Rin frowned at us all, and then stood up. "I'll find her," she said. "I'll be right—"

"No."

The word was out of my mouth before any of us had time to process it. And then I _did _process it. _No? _What the fuck? What was wrong with me? Why had I said anything? It wasn't my business if Kagome was going to have a mental breakdown. I wasn't responsible for her. I wasn't her sister, like Rin. Rin would be able to comfort her better than me, anyway….

_"I'm surprised a pretty girl like that would stick with a half breed like you."_

I stood up, maybe saying, "Wait here," maybe saying, "I'll go get her." Maybe I didn't say anything. In any case, I wasn't paying attention to what I said as I walked out of the movie theater in search of Kagome.

_Half breed my ass, _I growled. _I'm her friend, and I can comfort her just as well as anybody else. Hell, I can comfort her better. _

**Damn right.**

I walked out of the theatre, into the lobby, which was empty except for two people: one, Stupid Movie Theater Moron. Two, a slender girl who was sitting against the wall, arms wrapped around her knees, and face hidden by her hair. Sobbing her eyes out.

My eyes softened. _Kagome._

"Hey."

Kagome stiffened a little when she heard my voice, and she buried her face in her arms. Did she really think she could hide from me? If so, she really was a stupid wench.

I sat down beside her, waiting for her to speak.

"I'm so stupid," she moaned finally, voice hitching. "Stupid, stupid, stupid…"

"You're not stupid, wench!" Thinking I shouldn't let her ego get too big, I growled, "You're ridiculous, but not stupid."

"Thanks," she said sarcastically.

_Stupid sarcasm…. _What had she been expecting, anyway? For me to say, "Oh, it's fine, wench, just keep crying until your fucking eyes dry up and drop out of their sockets. It's okay. Even though you're crying over nothing, you're still completely normal. Not emotionally disturbed at all!"

Like I would lie for her benefit. Fuck, who did she think I was?

Still, the fact that it almost seemed like my words had hurt her feelings scared me a little. Screw that, it didn't _scare _me. I just didn't fucking _like _it. Got it?

"W-well it's true!" I stammered, cursing my stuttering. "What the hell are you crying about?"

"Everything!"

It was a scream of anguish which stunned me into utter silence, so that I was quiet as she sobbed her heart out, as she fucking soaked her shirt in her tears, as the salty scent polluted the air. Kagome took sixty seconds to cry and cry over nothing, and then breathed in, real deep, and said, "Just… I… I'm sorry."

I sighed. She was sorry? She was _sorry? _About what? What the hell could she be sorry for?

"Wench, I don't know what to make of you," I grumbled. One of the truest things I've ever said in my life. "What've you ever done to me?" Could _I _even think of something she'd done to me? Well, duh, I could think of a fucking thousand things… let's see, trying to _purify _me, _insulting _me, _ignoring _me….

When I remembered whose fault all those things were, it was hard to keep my eyes on her when I said in a low voice, "I mean that wasn't to get back at me for something I did."

Kagome tilted her chin up just a little, just enough so that she could look at me. Just enough for our eyes to meet… and just enough for me to be sucked into those brown depths, for the world to start to fade around us. For a second, it was just me and her, sitting here against the wall… except there was no wall, because it was just me and her, and we were the only things that existed in the whole universe. Not the candy bar, not the movie theater, not Stupid Movie Theater Moron… me and Kagome.

Alone.

I shivered, hoping that it was in horror but suspecting that it was in something else.

"I…" Kagome's voice floated around a little, like I was hearing her through water or through a glass wall. It floated above my head, just missing my ears, barely brushing past my skin so that I heard the words but couldn't understand them.

"I misjudged you."

Those words brought the world back to its usual place _real fucking fast._

I gaped at her. It was the only thing I could do… except laugh, which I did. A lot.

"Wench, this isn't still about thinking I was too stupid to want to watch the movie, is it?" I demanded, still laughing. Was that really what this was about? _Was that really all that this was fucking about?_

Kagome winced a little, saying almost guiltily, "I didn't think you were _stupid…_"

I laughed again. Typical Kagome… why would she be feeling guilty about some stupid thing like that? That was nothing to cry over. "Sure you didn't," I said casually, leaning my head back against the wall, still looking at her.

"Really!" she protested. I smirked. "You may be insufferable and annoying…" I had to growl at that, but strangely, Kagome's eyes did a really fucking weird thing at that moment… they almost… melted. No. That sounded stupid. The word would be, I guess… softened?

Hell, that sounds stupid, too.

Kagome continued softly, "But I know you're smart. I always did. Sure, you don't care much about school and stuff, but that doesn't mean you're stupid. You're NOT stupid."

Okay, now I was confused as hell. Am I smart or am I stupid? Couldn't the wench just make up her damn mind?

I raised my eyebrows and said, "Then what the hell are you crying for?"

Kagome dipped her head, her hair falling around her face so that I couldn't see it. And without access to her face, I didn't have access to her feelings.

And that fucking annoyed me.

"We should probably go back to the movie," she mumbled.

I nodded slowly, feeling like I should, saying, "Yeah."

But I didn't move an inch, and neither did she.

"Hey. Wench." Kagome looked at me, and finally I could see into her eyes, see right through her… and in those eyes I searched for the real reasons behind her tears.

And almost to my surprise, I thought I _did _see something. But… that couldn't be… she wouldn't be crying over that, would she?

My voice was serious when I said, "You know, we meant it when we said we'd pay for all this."

"I know that," she whispered. "And that's one of the things I HATE about it."

I stared at her. "What the hell are you complaining about now?"

Looking earnestly at me, Kagome said, "I hate having to owe people things! I hate always relying on other people, being a burden… I just… I hate it."

That definitely sounded like her. Kagome, the independent woman… Kagome, the one who always liked to do everything for herself and not rely on others… Kagome, the one who always liked to pay back her debts… and the one who I knew couldn't….

I began to wonder why she thought she had debts. Hadn't we told her we would take care of everything? Hadn't we promised her that?

We wanted to hang out with her. _I _wanted to hang out with her. As strange as it was… for whatever reason, I wanted to hang out with her in the city, and I wanted her to _like _the city. To have fun. With us.

The world began to fade, and suddenly I couldn't hold on to her gaze any longer, cause like the Orb of Night once tried to do to her, I felt like her eyes would absorb me, body and soul.

And that is a fucking scary idea.

"You don't owe us anything," I muttered.

She shook her head in that way that someone does when talking to someone who just doesn't understand. And that really fucking got on my nerves, how condescending it was. Did she think I didn't understand? Did she really? "Just because you don't want us to pay you back, doesn't mean we don't owe you," she said. My eyes narrowed. She did. She thought I didn't fucking understand her. Kagome continued, "We'll _never _be able to pay you back for this… not with money." I grimaced. How long would it take for her to _get it?_ "And as long as we can't pay back the debt, we'll _always _owe you," she finished, seeming to think that she had just won me over with her marvelous explanation and enlightened me to her dilemma, when in reality she had just really pissed me off.

"Oi!"

I hadn't meant it to come out so sharp, but for some reason it just slipped out. Kagome looked up at me in surprise, but her eyes didn't show hurt. Instead she froze, not stiffly, not uncomfortably, but almost in… surprise? Confusion?

It didn't matter. I needed to get this into her head, and I needed to make it clear right now. I could analyze her facial expressions later. "There. Is. No. Fucking. Debt," I growled. "Repeat it. Now."

She sighed. "There is no debt."

I grinned at that. "Can't curse, still?"

"It's not that I _can't_, it's that I _won't_," she corrected haughtily. And then she seemed to be unable to resist adding, "Unlike _you_, who seem to make a hobby of it!"

I grinned. That was the Kagome I knew.

We stood up at the same time, barely realizing it, and I grinned widely at her, taking in her bright red face, her fisted hands, her straight back… her tearless eyes, bright with aggravation. And when I saw the last part, I smiled.

Kagome looked up at me almost thoughtfully, the aggravation melting away, leaving a kind of curiosity… and an intense, unexplainable joy. But I couldn't tell what she was thinking… her eyes had closed like doors, cutting off my view into her mind, cutting off my access to her feelings. I couldn't explain what was making her so happy. And I definitely couldn't explain what made her do what she did next.

Without warning, Kagome leaped at me.

It was so abrupt that I froze, muscles tensing, coiling for attack. But then I felt something sliding around my waist… and realized that it was her arms.

Kagome buried her face in my chest and whispered, "Thank you."

I froze, not daring to move. Her body was pressed so tightly against me that I could barely think, her scent so overpowering that my thoughts were clouded. I drifted through a haze of sensation, unable to identify any of them any more specifically than… than….

My eyes widened.

Than pleasure.

Kagome stiffened but didn't move, and something about the stiffening, about the fact that she would be nervous when I was here with her, here _for her_, made me lose my concern. And with uncharacteristic hesitance, with a nervousness I couldn't fully explain, I slid my arms around her, and I held her tighter.

I took a deep breath, letting her scent wash over me, enjoying it while I could… cause I knew that eventually, Kagome would realize what she was doing. Eventually, it would hit her how close we were, and she would push me away.

Either that, or it would hit _me. _

But as her scent bathed me in its warmth, as I gripped her tighter to me, as neither of us made any move to separate, I found my wits where I'd left them scattered and said, low so as not to break the mood, "No problem."

Kagome held me tighter, and though I couldn't see her face, I could have sworn I felt her smile.

And as we stood there, I took the time to wonder why I didn't want to let her go.

**A/N: Well, there you go! Inuyasha didn't sound too feminine, did he? I hope not… I was kinda worrying about that. Anyway, well, I hope you feel enlightened. And as usual, thank you's to the following people for reviewing: Roses Kiss, Tomatosoup inc., k, xXthenextbookwormXx, bear lover, booklover2thextreme, purduepup, LunaP, beautiful-surreal, Island Heart, warriormaiden60, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, Daichilover, BGuate224, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, Bunnyz, and ai! You guys rock! (as do all my readers, but I REALLY LIKE REVIEWS, PEOPLE! :D )**

** Okay, now I'll just tell you, the next chapter will be another Inu POV, this time his thoughts while they're in the club! Then the chapter after that will be back to Kagome, and THE BEGINNING OF THE GIFT EXCHANGING! And then… drumroll please… the chapter you've all been waiting for, I'm sure—the kotodama! :D. Sorry I'm making you wait a few more chapters for that, but every chapter is important, despite what you may think! I hope you guys can wait and don't hate me for that! Thank you so much for all the great reviews for the last chapter, and everyone, REVIEW! :D **


	44. Death of Me

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hey everyone! This is Inuyasha POV, and it's back in the club! Read and REVIEW! :D. Please, guys? Pretty please? This is chapter 44, and I have 420 reviews right now-OH MY GOD I HAVE 420 REVIEWS I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD GET TO SAY THAT-so if I got twenty reviews for this chapter, I'LL HAVE 440 REVIEWS! Which is 44 x 10 :D. And I know it won't last, but it would make me really happy…! Even though I'm already really happy...! :D**

**So read and review, and I hope you like it! **

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR: DEATH OF ME

INUYASHA POV

SETTING: CHAPTER FORTY-ONE, THE CLUB

Kagome is going to kill me.

I'd been thinking about it for awhile now: about her, about me, about the things that had happened between us. About how I'd once thought I'd hated her, how I'd _told _myself I'd hated her. How I'd hidden from the fact that not only did I _not _hate her, but in some ways, I felt something for her that I had never felt for anybody else. Sure, I had no fucking idea what that thing was, but still, it was _something._

And it's starting to freak me out.

Take now, for instance. This minute. I'm sitting in one of the clubs me and Sango and Miroku like to go to, and the lights are flashing and the music's blasting so loud that it _should _be blowing my thoughts out my ears. That's one of the things I like about loud music, about clubs: I don't have to think about things. Actually, I _can't _think about things. I mean, I don't have the best attention span in general, so put me in a club with loud music and flashing lights and I'm about as focused as a two year old being told to solve a trigonometric ratio while surrounded by dancing fucking cupcakes.

And if that comparison doesn't prove to you guys that I am really fucking confused right now, _you _are really fucking stupid.

Again: Kagome is going to kill me.

Like I said before (before I got sidetracked), I'd been thinking about it… about us… for awhile. And apparently my confusion over me and Kagome was strong enough to block out the lights, the sounds, the whole atmosphere of the club that for some reason, for the first time, couldn't obliterate my train of thought.

I curled my hands into fists in my lap, wishing I hadn't wolfed down my hamburger so fast, cause now it was gone and I didn't have anything to take my mind off of her.

Why did she have the power to make me not only think about her, not only glance at her, but _keep _thinking about her? Why did she have the power to make it hard for me _not _to _keep _glancing at her? What the hell did she have that I just couldn't ignore?

I growled low in my throat. _She's just a woman… a wench. That's all. And I promised myself I wouldn't let a woman get to me ever again. I promised myself that. And there's no fucking way I'm going to break that promise. I'll fucking DIE first._

But I had a feeling I had already broken it.

I repeat: Kagome is going to kill me.

"So _different._"

I glanced up, hearing the end of whatever the hell Rin had said, and deciding that from now on I was going to join the conversation. For the sake of my sanity (and maybe even my life), I needed to think about something else. Something besides her, besides how it had felt to hold her in my arms, besides how it had felt to know that I could dry her tears….

Fuck. I was thinking about her again.

Miroku smiled and opened his mouth to speak. I glanced at him; the perverted monk always said something that was a good source of distraction. Either that, or something that would give me the opportunity to completely break the mood and make everybody either laugh or glare at me. (Which hopefully would distract me from dangerous thoughts).

"That would be Tokyo for you," Miroku said. "I have met _very _interesting people in this city."

He couldn't have said anything more perfect.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Like what? Prostitutes?"

Kagome's sister choked on her pasta, and I smirked… though it was more because of Kagome's glare at the back of my head than because of Rin's suffering.

Sango put her hand on Miroku's shoulder and smiled—which is Sango Sign Language for 'He'd better not be right or I will fucking kill you.' "Believe me," Sango said wryly, "If that were the case, our favorite little pervert would not be sitting here with us tonight."

I swear, Sango has a gift for making every fucking syllable she says heavy with death threats.

Miroku looked afraid and sick to his stomach; an expression which was both unsurprising and really fucking funny. "My dear Sango, I am very glad you have such confidence in me, but your fingers threatening to crush my scapula say otherwise."

Sango grinned at Miroku and leaned closer, almost like she was gonna kiss him… except at the last moment she bent to his ear and whispered pleasantly, "Miroku, if you call me your _dear _Sango one more time, I am going to _take _your scapula and ram it up your ass."

Maybe if I died of laughter here, Kagome won't get the chance to kill me by slow psychological torture.

"Okay!" Sango cheered. Sometimes, she really freaks me out with her millisecond-mood-shifts. "Now we're going to draw names. So, who wants to go first?"

Rin volunteered first, followed quickly by Miroku. For a split second I caught a glimpse of the names on his papers… and guess whose name he hadn't gotten?

I watched while Miroku deliberated, trying to figure out a way to get his beloved, psychotic demon slayer's name into his hand when really he had gotten Rin and Kagome. But his doubt only lasted a second, and then Miroku took a breath and said with perfect confidence, "I'm not allowed to have my own name, right?"

Miroku may be an idiot. He may be a perv. And when it comes to women, he may have suicidal, self-destructive tendencies.

But he's a really good liar.

Kagome confirmed the rule, and Miroku dug back into the bag to find a new fragment. I didn't see the name on this one, but I didn't need to.

Miroku smiled, satisfied. I tried not to roll my eyes.

But now it was Kagome's turn.

I found myself hoping to get a glimpse of the names she'd gotten, but she pulled them out with enough care that I couldn't see what was written on the paper. I wanted to snort. What the hell was she doing, pulling out the names like she was some kind of spy? Did she actually think some idiot was _looking _at the papers, _wanting _to know who she would be getting gifts for? Who the hell would care about _that?_

And then I remembered.

Aw, shit. I just couldn't catch a fucking break, could I?

But when Kagome blinked in surprise, all my attention was on her again.

"Do any of you remember whether there was a rule against having the same name on both papers?" she asked, voice lilting a little in uncertainty. I had to admit, she had an amazing voice… not like it was a _nice _voice or anything! Not like I fucking enjoyed listening to it or anything! It was just interesting. That's all.

Only a demon or half demon could've heard the special tenors and tones underlying everything she said. Only a demon or half demon could've felt the strange, small, and almost tingly vibrations which her voice sent through the air. So it was no wonder that I was the only one to feel them hit my skin… it was no wonder that I was the only one to be so fascinated with her voice. Fuck, it wasn't like it was particularly amazing or anything! Just interesting. That's all. If the others could've heard what I heard, they'd think it was cool, too.

But they're humans.

"I don't think so," Sango said. "Miroku? Inuyasha? Rin?"

I blinked. Wait… I'd been concentrating so much on what Kagome's voice sounded like, that I hadn't even heard what she'd _said. _

What was Sango answering to?

Rin shook her head at Kagome, and for whatever reason, Kagome almost balked. "Mom just said you couldn't have your own name," Rin said. "So the same name on both should be fine."

The same name on both? Kagome had gotten one person twice?

Kagome looked down at her papers. Whoever she'd gotten, it didn't seem like she was too thrilled to be getting them presents.

Instantly I was on edge.

Who had she gotten…? Who wouldn't she want to get something for…? I could've seen it being me, but I didn't think she would have that kind of reaction to buying me something _now_, would she? Not after we'd become friends… not after I'd protected her… not after what had happened at the movie?

There was no way in hell that she still hated me. But she didn't hate any of the others… so obviously, hate wasn't the reason she looked like she was about to have a panic attack.

But what the hell _was _the reason?

"Inuyasha? Your turn."

I reached my hand into the bag, barely looking at anyone, and pulled out two names. Glancing at the first, I read, _Rin. _Okay… so I'd have to get Rin something. Well, whatever. I could think about what later. Didn't matter.

I looked at the second, and froze up.

_Kagome._

Her handwriting revealed nothing about her. It wasn't that it was plain, or really ugly, or really fancy or anything, but… I just couldn't get any info from it. Nothing.

That's not the point. The point was that now I had to get Kagome a present, and I had no idea what to get for her.

But when Sango announced that we were all going to go dancing, I decided to put aside my thoughts (and hopefully not look at them again until I absolutely fucking had to).

"Hey!"

I glanced at Kagome, who was still wrestling with Sango. It distracted me a little, that she seemed so _against _dancing. It even surprised me. I mean, why wouldn't she want to dance? For me, the reasons were obvious. But why not Kagome?

Sango, predictably, didn't relent. "Come on, it's a club, you _have _to dance."

"Um…" Rin detached herself from Sango's arm, shoulders beginning to hunch. "I think I'll just stay at the table," she said quietly.

I still watched them, wondering why Rin didn't want to dance either. What was with these Okinawa people? Hell, I didn't understand either of them.

"Why?" Sango asked, confused. "Rin, do you feel sick?"

"Um…"

"I'm feeling a little sick, too," Kagome lied suddenly. I grimaced; why the hell was she lying? It was obvious she wasn't sick. I could _smell _that she was healthy, for crying out loud. "We'll just go back to the table, it's fine, Sango."

"Do you guys want to leave?" Sango offered. "We can—"

"No! We just want to sit down, that's all. It's fine, you guys go have fun."

Sango looked like she was edging towards giving in. She glanced at the dance floor, and then back at Kagome and Rin. "Are you sure? Because—"

"We're sure," Rin said, smiling. "We'll be fine, San. Don't worry. If we left because of us, I'd feel really guilty. So, go dance, okay? We'll watch you."

From Sango's sigh, I knew she was giving up, and the conversation was about to be over. So I didn't bother to listen to the rest of the conversation, or even to watch Kagome and Rin go back to their table. Instead, I turned back to the dance floor, feeling as annoyed as I always did in these kinds of situations.

I fucking hate dancing.

It's not that I'm really bad at it or anything. I mean, yeah, I have practically no experience and I've almost never danced with anyone before, but that wouldn't matter if I wanted to dance. The fact is, I don't. I really don't. Not if I don't have anyone to dance with.

I leaned against the wall of the dance floor pit, realizing that I'd never actually danced with anyone before. Well, maybe Sango, once in awhile, but that didn't count. Kikyo had never been one for dancing or parties or anything… I grimaced at that, closing my eyes. When had Kikyo gotten into my thoughts? She didn't belong there. She was gone. That was that.

I stole a glance at Kagome, talking to Rin. They were both smiling.

Kagome had Kikyo's hair color… but where Kikyo's hair had been impeccably straight and probably had never seen a bad hair day in its life, Kagome's was wavy and full of energy. Kagome had Kikyo's face… but where Kikyo's had been cold and unreadable, Kagome's was open and warm. Caring.

I blinked. When had I started to think this way?

I… had loved Kikyo. Once, I loved her. Once, I thought that we were going to be together forever… but I guess our bond hadn't been as strong as I'd thought, cause for whatever reason, she'd doubted me. I still didn't have a reason for that, and the memories, her accusations, still made me wince, but… it wasn't like it used to be. It wasn't the suffocating, choking pain that felt like it was going to kill me. It wasn't the agony of heartbreak.

I used to love Kikyo. But by some cruel twist of fate, Kikyo was gone. And sometimes I wonder whether I ever loved Kikyo for real, cause wouldn't you think that just cause someone died, your love for them would never change?

But mine had. I didn't love Kikyo anymore.

I had gotten over her.

Taking a deep breath, I wondered when and how I'd managed to make that happen.

Kagome's voice drifted toward me, just distinguishable despite the music, and suddenly I couldn't take it anymore. I was tired of being on the sidelines, of watching restlessly while Sango and Miroku played their love game, of grimacing at the idiots in the corners who were grinding against each other—so fucking disgusting. All of it, every fucking bit of it, annoyed the hell out of me.

I jumped up the stairs, out of the dance pit, and walked up to Kagome's table, sliding into the seat in front of her and Rin.

"Oi. You guys made the right move, staying back here," I said. And then I waited for them to reply, like most people do after they talk. Except they didn't reply… instead they stared at me, and it started making me feel a little weird. "What?" I demanded.

Kagome frowned at me. "Why aren't you out there?" she asked, gesturing toward the dance floor.

I rolled my eyes; like the answer wasn't obvious enough. But because I wasn't going to bother describing to her my unexplainable annoyance, I said flatly, "First, I don't dance. Second, Sango and Miroku need some alone time, don't you think?"

That one was true enough.

I looked at Kagome, mostly cause she was looking at me and I thought she was gonna say something. But _nooooo. _Instead of talking, or even really giving any sign of life at all, she kept looking at me. No… _staring _at me. Staring _into me._

I stared right back at her, wondering what the hell she was thinking and whether she was right in the head. But when her eyes tightened with confusion… when her face twitched just the tiniest bit… I started to actually worry.

"Hey. Wench," I said quietly, not looking away from her brown eyes. "You okay?"

Kagome, almost exhaling with relief, looked away from me. I watched her eyes as they focused on something behind me, something that I couldn't see… and I watched as they tightened, as her body tensed. What was making her look like that? Why did she look so… frustrated? So annoyed? So nervous? So confused? So….

Screw this. My vocabulary isn't good enough to keep brainstorming fucking adjectives.

Kagome tore her eyes away from whatever she'd been looking at, instead directing them toward the table. Her hands balled into fists, and she stared at the table so intensely that it almost looked like she was going to explode from frustration.

What the hell was wrong with her?

Thinking I'd better say something before she exploded and I got her guts all over my face, I said, "Oi. Wench. What's the matter with you?"

Kagome stared at me as if emerging from a daze, and then retorted, "What's the matter with you?"

Real clever, Kagome.

_What's wrong with her…?_

**You idiot.**

_Not you again. Fuck off, will you?_

We're just trying to help you! Why do you have to be so immature?

_Again: isn't that kind of stupid? Seeing as you're PART of me?_

**Ignore the human. You only need me for help.**

Don't listen to him! He doesn't understand what you want! Just let me help you, I can _help _you, Inuyasha! Don't you understand? You need me.

_I don't fucking need either of you! So I'll tell you one more time: FUCK OFF._

Hell, I didn't need two voices bickering in my fucking head while I was trying to work out what was going on in _Kagome's _head.

I almost heard my human voice sigh. If you would just listen to me, I could tell you what you want to know.

That got my attention. _You know what Kagome's feeling?_

INUYASHA, IT'S OBVIOUS.

It was sure as hell not obvious to _me._

"Keh," I said, not sure who I was responding to. Remembering that Kagome had said something and that she had no idea about the asshole voices in my head, I rolled my eyes at her and said, "Why aren't youout there dancing, anyway?"

Kagome rolled her eyes right back at me, and I smirked at that; she always was a fighter, even in something as insignificant as an eye-roll. "You think I would dance _willingly_, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked dubiously. "You think I'd make a fool of myself without a partner to dance with?"

My eyes widened.

"_You think I'd make a fool of myself without a partner to dance with?"_

Oh, look, Inuyasha figured it out.

Figured it… out? No. There was no way… that couldn't be right. There was no fucking way that that was right… right?

Why would Kagome want to dance with…?

I raised an eyebrow at her, waiting, hoping to hell that she would explain what she meant.

Kagome did not want to dance with me. That was a fact. There was no fucking reason for her to want _me _to be her partner. Why the hell wouldshe want me to be her partner? And I didn't want to dance with her, in any case….

I grimaced at that, because suddenly I wasn't sure if it was true.

I remembered the feeling, of holding Kagome in my arms, of her hugging herself to me… of me tightening my arms around her. I remembered her scent, her intoxicating scent that wafted from her skin, that enveloped me in its incense… that scent which drew me in, that scent which smelled better than any other I had ever smelled in my life… the scent whose effect on me I would never, _ever _admit to Kagome….

Wouldn't dancing with her be similar?

But hell, what was I thinking? Why was I thinking this? What the hell WAS this? These… these feelings? I had to spit the last word out. Feelings… it could mean anything. Hatred, jealousy, anger, frustration, curiosity, love… if a feeling could be anything, why was it so fucking hard for me to admit to myself that I had feelings for Kagome?

I swear, at that moment, my blood froze.

I had feelings… I had feelings for… I have….

I took a deep, silent breath.

I. Have. Feelings. For. Kagome.

There.

Suddenly I grinned… grinned, laughed, whatever. Why? Cause I was… I don't know… maybe… maybe, just a little… no, screw that, _really… _really….

FREAKED OUT.

So I did what came naturally. "Keh," I said, grinning, teasing her. "I don't know if you'd do that, wench, but it'd be pretty funny to watch."

Kagome looked like she wanted to sock me.

I only grinned wider.

Unfortunately, we were interrupted by the usual Sango-Miroku incident. "You _pervert_," Sango seethed, storming up the steps off of the dance floor and up to our table. Glaring at us, she muttered, "We're leaving. Now."

"What'd we do?" Kagome whispered meekly to Rin.

She sighed. "I don't think we did anything, but it doesn't take a genius to tell who _did_."

That was for sure.

Sango left cash for the check and stomped away from the table, flinging the door of the club open before any of us could even stand up. Jeez, Sango moves fast when she's in one of her talk-to-me-and-I-will-kill-you moods.

Miroku, left in her wake, looked like he was gonna throw up.

I groaned. I didn't really have to ask, but it was a good source of distraction, so I asked anyway. "Miroku, what the hell did you do now?"

"I did not do anything!" Miroku said. I smirked a little; _did not do. _Why the hell did Miroku have to talk so formal all the time? It was really getting on my nerves. "It is all a misunderstanding," he pleaded.

_Like hell it is. _I snorted. "Misunderstanding, my ass."

"Really!" Miroku exclaimed. "It wasn't me! We were dancing, and… it's all a huge mistake!"

Somehow, this just didn't surprise me.

I rolled my eyes at him, saying sarcastically, "So you're gonna tell me someone _else _touched her ass, and she jumped to conclusions and blamed poor, innocent Miroku, who would never even _dream_—"

Miroku stiffened, straightening up haughtily. "I make no claim to have never done anything in the past." Okay, good. Maybe he isn't as far gone as I thought. "But I promised Sango when we started dancing together that I would not… ah… _try _anything, and I kept my promise! Only she…" he sighed. "I suppose I deserve to be framed."

Damn right.

I watched Miroku trudge toward the door, looking like a really dejected drowned cat. Not like any drowned cat _wouldn't _look dejected, but what the hell… I thought I would add it for emphasis.

I exchanged a glance with Rin and Kagome, whose thoughts were clearly in sync with mine. With sort of a grunt and an eye roll, we followed Miroku out of the club, out of the lights, away from the music, away from the people. And as we stepped out into the street, as the oppressing dimness and blasting music faded, as the people disappeared behind the closing door… I was left with only my new epiphany for company.

_Epiphany_. Fucking stupid word.

I took a deep breath, letting oxygen flood my lungs, letting it invade me arteries and my brain and my heart and my legs. My fingertips, my shoulders, my collar, my waist, my knees, my toes… I let it soar through me, and then I let it escape me.

I exhaled.

I have feelings for Kagome.

Maybe you'd think it would be a relief, to finally know it, to accept it. I have feelings for Kagome. I'd never been able to think that before, to say it to myself… so shouldn't it feel good to just let it out?

Well it fucking didn't.

Cause now I was learning something I almost wished I hadn't. Admitting it was the easy part. I have feelings for Kagome. Five fucking words. Big deal. Just five words, and I could admit it. They were just words… and words would only ever be words.

I had admitted it. That part was over.

Now I just needed to figure out what the hell those feelings were.

**A/N: Hehe, I am soooo evil, I know. He is really, really, really close…! Like, really close. I mean it. She is, too—so even though you probably want to find me and kill me right now (which isn't very logical, seeing as death would probably delay my next update), you can be consoled with that fact! **

**I updated earlier than usual, thanks to some prodding from a few great friends ;D. But don't get used to it, cause I can't update early all the time! I am doing my best, and I hate making you wait as much as you hate waiting! **

** Now, thanks to the people who reviewed the last chapter: purduepup, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, k, ai, Bunnyz, BGuate224, bear lover, Roses Kiss, Island Heart, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, beautiful-surreal, xXthenextbookwormXx, Daichilover, LunaP, and Tomatosoup inc.! You're all awesome, and next chapter will be up in four days give or take, depending on how much I write and how many reviews I get! So, REVIEW, guys! See you soon! :D**


	45. The Power of Presents

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hiii! I got 440 reviews! Thank you so much, I love you all! (Actually, I think it was 441 :D). Sorry this came today instead of yesterday—didn't get much time to write. But it's only late by 51 minutes, so hopefully you'll forgive me! :D**

**Read and review! :)**

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE: THE POWER OF PRESENTS

WITH KAGOME-FROM WHERE WE LAST LEFT HER

Against all odds and my inane sense of direction, I found my way back to the map with two whole minutes to spare.

"Kagome!" Sango and Miroku shouted, waving to me.

I grinned, running over to them, surprising both myself and them with my energy. But I only grinned wider, glowing with enthusiasm, happy that finally, _finally_, for the first time since I'd moved to Tokyo, it seemed like something was going right… right, easy, and uncomplicated.

Just _thinking _that to myself sounded like foreshadowing.

"Hi guys. Are Rin and Inuyasha not back yet?" I asked, shaking off my unease.

Sango shook her head. "Not yet."

Miroku glanced at her and said, "I would not think that Inuyasha would spend so long looking for gifts for other people."

Sango laughed, rolling her eyes. "He probably gave up on that entirely and went and looked for himself."

I grinned to myself, not saying my thoughts, which were that if he wanted to buy something for himself, he could probably just buy out the whole mall.

"Kagome! Sango, Miroku!"

The three of us turned to see Rin approaching, a bright smile stretched across her face.

"Hey, Rin. Success?"

Rin smiled at me. "I think so. What about you guys?"

The three of us nodded, and then Rin appeared to do the math in her head and asked in surprise, "Inuyasha's not back yet?"

"Nope."

My eyes strayed across neighboring stores, searching for glimpse of silver hair between the shelves, or a glimmer of gold at a store window. But my search yielded nothing… no silver, no gold, nothing.

No sign of Inuyasha.

Tendrils of worry pervaded my mind. What if something had happened to him? What if he had run into Yura or Tsubaki or Menomaru or Gatenmaru? Maybe Menomaru's and Gatenmaru's whole _gang?_ And what if… what if this time, he hadn't been able to fight them off? Or if at this very moment they were in a dark alley outside the mall, circling each other, preparing to rip the other's lungs out? At this thought, an invisible pressure began to touch my lungs, compressing them until I felt that _I _had been the one to have my lungs ripped out. Until I felt that my imagination, my worry, my fear had taken hold of my body and turned it against me….

"Oi. Wench, you look like you're dying. What happened?"

Sango, Rin, Miroku, and I jumped… though I suspected that my jump was the highest.

"Inuyasha."

His name came out almost involuntarily… half an acknowledgement, half a sigh of relief. Hardly a normal hello. I turned to face the direction from which his voice had come, almost expecting to see nothing, nobody. But there he was… despite my fears and suspicions and expectations, there he was: standing by a video games store, arms folded, eyebrows raised and eyes on me.

The tiniest smirk climbed upon his face.

For a moment I stood there, admiring that expression on his face. It was the first time since back in the club that we'd had time to have real eye contact… to look each other in the eye and speak without words and read into each other's very essence. It was the first time in what, strangely, felt like a long time to me that I had gotten to look into Inuyasha's face and think about how amazing his golden eyes were.

But this time was different than the other times.

This time, for whatever reason, the silence lasted longer; or at least it felt longer to me. Not in an unpleasant way, not in a dull way—quite the contrary. Somehow, as I looked into Inuyasha's eyes and he looked into mine, I felt vulnerable.

But no… that wasn't exactly it….

The word would be… confused?

But no matter how confused I was, no matter how my skin tingled and my heart raced, I refused to break the connection. I refused to be the one to back out, to retreat… but to retreat from what?

Inuyasha continued to smirk at me, but as he looked deeper into my eyes, I begun to feel as if he was reading not only into me but into himself as well. It was almost as if he were looking at me with new eyes. But I had no idea what he was seeing now, and what he had seen before. However, a small voice inside me dared to hope that maybe he liked whatever he saw…?

To my shock, confusion, and relief, the small voice wasn't snuffed out by the lack of space in my brain. But in any case, Inuyasha saved me from thinking about the clutter in my mind by smirking even wider.

"That's my name, wench."

Same old Inuyasha.

And because I was relieved, because I'd been scared, because I'd been confused and was just confusing myself further, I didn't even bother to remind him that _wench _wasn't _my _name.

So instead of glaring, I grinned. And somewhat to my satisfaction, the grin seemed to unnerve Inuyasha even more than a glare would have.

Once again we were a group of five, grinning and laughing and talking and taunting… and by the time we left the mall, all the worry had drained out of me. I knew that Inuyasha could see that. And I was pretty sure that that was the reason why he didn't question me more about my strange relief… and that was a good thing. Cause if he had asked me, I wouldn't have been able to tell him why my imagination had run miles ahead of reality.

And how could I explain to him my confusion when I couldn't even explain it to myself?

* * *

If you ever feel the need to be dragged into a movie theatre in the dark of night, thinking it was a _comedy_, and find out a few minutes in that actually it's the SCARIEST DANG MOVIE EVER TO BE INFLICTED ON A POOR, UNSUSPECTING AUDIENCE, then just let me know. I'll hook you up with Inuyasha.

"I can't _believe _you did that to us," I growled.

Jerk. Jerk. JERK. Not for my sake, mind you. I mean, sure, I was scared out of my wits and felt like I had to look over my shoulder every second—and believe me, this isn't a comfortable feeling when you're walking through the streets of Tokyo in the dark—but Rin looked like she was about to faint.

And _Rin _walked out of the movie about halfway in.

"I can't believe you're such a coward," Inuyasha cackled, grinning widely.

"I don't believe that you can't believe I'm a coward." I glared at him, sure he'd been planning this… and positive that he was pleased by my reaction. "I mean, what _was _that?"

Well, I knew what it was, and it definitely wasn't a movie. Cruel and unusual torture, was more like it.

Inuyasha stared at me like he was contemplating my stupidity, and then he smirked slightly and said slowly and deliberately, almost like a question, "A _movie?_"

The guy has to be doing this on purpose.

"That was a great movie," Sango admitted, earning glare-stares from me and Rin. She backtracked quickly. "Don't get me wrong—it was scary. I mean, I believed Inuyasha as much as you did! If I'd known what it was, I would have _warned _you."

Inuyasha didn't react. She coughed meaningfully.

He laughed.

He just doesn't get it, does he?

It took the rest of the walk to the car, as well as the car ride home and some encouraging words, to get Rin back to her usual happy self. But maybe the finishing touch on the recovery process was seeing Sango's house.

Which was probably enough to cure anybody's case of terror-induced-hiccups.

"It's… wow."

It wasn't huge like Inuyasha's house. It was a pretty, more traditional style, with a nice yard… and a real big garage. But still… no mansion. No fifty acre estate.

"It's… a house," I managed.

"It's a _normal-sized _house," Rin gasped in awe. And suddenly she just didn't seem able to contain her excitement anymore. "IT'S A REAL LIVE HOUSE!"

Miroku, Sango, and Inuyasha guffawed with laughter. I grinned, too, stifling giggles… and soon Rin joined, and I couldn't resist anymore.

"What'd you expect?" Sango asked finally. "A doll house?"

Rin frowned slightly. "Well… from how Kagome described Inuyasha's house… something more like a… house-eating house?"

If anything, that only made the rest of them laugh harder.

Sango led the way in, followed by Miroku on one side, and me and Rin on the other, Inuyasha bringing up the rear. Looking through a window in the garage, I could see that the whole thing was filled with weapons. Boomerangs, swords, daggers, bows… from spears to sling shots, that place was packed. Just think of any kind of weapon you can possibly imagine, _anything _that might possibly be able to give a demon a bandaid-worthy-or-lethal wound. Whatever you imagined, I can assure you, it's there.

My thoughts were cut off by Sango's kitchen. It's not that it was particularly grand or pretty. It's not that it had a huge banquet hall of servants and several chefs. Instead… it was absolutely, positively _filthy._

WHO _DIED _IN THERE, AND WHY THE HECK ARE THERE BLOOD AND GUTS COVERING THE WALLS?

The stuff on the walls which I had initially thought were body fluids proved to be peanut butter and jelly upon closer inspection. Maybe jam; I can never tell the difference. Littered across the kitchen table were pots and pans of every shape and size, and so many vegetables that it made me dizzy just thinking about it. And finally… on the counter, beside two cabinets covered in chocolate sauce… was a giant rice ball.

"_That_," Rin said, "Is a cannibal rice ball."

My thoughts exactly.

I glanced at Sango, who had gone utterly frozen, staring almost unseeingly at the kitchen. Miroku took one look at the kitchen and sighed, as if he had expected nothing less than to see the whole room covered in food. Like that was perfectly normal.

I had no words to describe this, but apparently Sango did, and after the haze left her eyes, she expressed her feelings in one word.

"KOHAKU!"

Whoever _Kohaku _was, I started to fear for his life.

Inuyasha smirked. "The kid's at it again, huh?"

"I told him… I _told _him…." Seeming at a loss for words, Sango covered her face with her hand. "That boy is going to pay. Dearly."

I considered asking who Kohaku was (even though seeing as he wasn't going to live much longer, it wasn't very important), but I didn't get the chance. Running footsteps interrupted my thoughts… and it turned out that those footsteps brought a messy-haired human boy with them.

The boy whom I assumed was Kohaku took one look at the kitchen, then at the fire singing the air around Sango, grinned very guiltily, and fled.

"Don't even think about it!"

Sango sprinted across the room, leaping straight over piles of food and puddles of peanut butter until she tackled Kohaku, pinning him to the ground in a very wrestler-like style. Kohaku squirmed under her, body shaking, body racked by tremors of what I thought was fear… until suddenly he could not hold his emotions in anymore and cracked up.

Sango looked ready to murder.

"Sorry, Sis," Kohaku choked out through almost maniacal cackles. "It's just… well… I didn't mean for it to happen! I… I…."

But whatever his excuse was, I never got to find out, because he was overtaken by another spasm of laughter.

"Why you… you…." to my surprise, a reluctant grin split across Sango's face. "Stupid, stupid…."

Then she did something that shocked me even more than the grin did. Sango laughed.

At first when the sound left her mouth, I couldn't tell whether it was genuine laughter or a laugh of wrath. You know, like a battle cry—the "I'm going to skin you alive and put your organs on a platter for dinner" kind. The latter seemed more plausible by far, but for whatever reason, Sango rolled off of Kohaku and lay on the ground, shaking.

Miroku and Inuyasha laughed, too, rolling their eyes (while they weren't glancing warily about the destruction in the kitchen). Even Rin was giving in… and finally, when I decided I didn't have to worry about Kohaku's safety anymore, I realized that this whole incident was hysterical.

"Kohaku, meet Kagome and Rin. Kagome, Rin: this is Kohaku. My brother…" Sango stood and hoisted Kohaku to his feet by his shirt collar, saying with a mildly creepy smile, "A boy who is absolutely obsessed with the culinary arts, and a boy who is about to spend the next several hours CLEANING THE KITCHEN."

Kohaku could only grin. "Hi."

So it turned out that the house hadn't been vandalized or pranked at all. Instead, it had been cooked in by Sango's eleven-year-old brother, who apparently had been born into the wrong family, because whereas everyone else with any blood related to Sango seemed to be somehow involved in demon slaying, Kohaku's passion was cooking.

"It's not like I don't like demon slaying," Kohaku objected, jumping agilely around the puddles of food while Sango led us carefully through the messy maze at a non-demon-slayer-human pace. "It's just that I'm better at cooking, and I like cooking more."

Inuyasha launched himself straight over our heads into the next room, and with a smirk, he said, "Hate to break it to you, but you need to work on your cooking too, kid."

I couldn't help but reproach him with a meaningful glare for his rudeness… even though our thoughts were in sync.

"I'm not a bad cook!" Kohaku retorted. He flushed slightly. "I'm just not so great at cleaning up."

"He's actually right," Sango said, to our surprise. "Taste his rice ball, it's probably great—or not," she added meekly. Rin and I grinned at each other. Now I could see the one thing Kohaku and his sister shared: a menacing glare.

"It's for a contest," Kohaku announced. "Nobody's allowed to eat it unless you want to come to my class's festival. And it's not done yet!"

"Look," Inuyasha said skeptically, "Your cake last time was awesome, but how can you enter a _rice ball _in a contest? No matter how big it is?"

Kohaku only sighed.

"Hey," Sango said suddenly, grabbing Kohaku by the shoulder. "You're cleaning up the kitchen, remember?"

To my surprise, Kohaku shrugged and said, "Okay, okay." Grinning a little, he added, "I guess you wouldn't _help _me…?"

And then, just because I guess she just _had _to, my little philanthropist of a sister said cheerfully, "Sure, we will! Come on, Kagome!"

Me, Inuyasha, and Miroku stared at Rin in utter horror.

"Keh, no way am I cleaning up this." Inuyasha made a beeline for the living room.

"Oh no you don't," I growled. Reaching out reflexively, I grabbed him by the shirt collar, which probably would have stopped him if he'd been human. Instead he kept walking until I nearly fell against him, at which point he realized I had actually been trying to hold him back.

Inuyasha grabbed me by the arms, steadied me, and glared. "Friendship does _not _mean I have to help one of my friends clean one of my other friends' _brother's _mess."

I had to admit that it definitely sounded convoluted.

"Friendship doesn't," I agreed, winging it, "But your long-buried ethics will."

I knew he had ethics. I just didn't know whether they applied to house cleaning.

Inuyasha groaned, and then he turned and said to Sango, "Why don't you guys have a housekeeper or something, again?"

Sango shrugged. "My parents think that hard work raises cultured children," she explained, more to me and Rin than to Inuyasha. "I don't really mind, mostly… though I don't have to clean up Kohaku's messes. Well, unless you guys really want to help. If that's what you want, I'm in."

Kohaku beamed at us.

"It'll be quicker that way!" he pleaded. "Please?"

"Come on, it'll be fun," Rin said.

_Fun _wasn't the way I would describe it, but if my sister was volunteering, I had no choice.

"Okay, I'm in," I said, grinning at her.

Rin cheered.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, the order of volunteering next was this: Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha. Sango and Miroku were quick… it was Inuyasha who was a struggle. No matter how many of his friends were helping, it seemed like he still refused to give his consent.

He never _did _give his consent. But even though he was the last to start working, the fact that he didn't just walk out and play video games while we broke our backs made me think that maybe he had never actually refused.

I don't know how long it took to clean the kitchen, but it was shorter than I'd expected. Kohaku, of course, moved his precious rice ball downstairs to some room which I imagined was a giant refrigerator. The work was tiring, but working with friends made it bearable and even a little fun. Kohaku hopped from counter to counter, Miroku touched Sango's butt, Sango slapped him, and Inuyasha and I threw bread and vegetables at each other… which probably didn't help with the cleaning much, but hey, it was surprisingly entertaining. And we picked them up eventually!

So, it was fun. Kohaku proved to have surprising fortitude for an eleven-year-old, but after the kitchen was clean, he went straight to bed. I don't blame him. At the end of the job… probably after several hours of labor… we all felt like we were going to die or faint.

A problem easily solved by caffeine.

Sango gave us full command over the drink bar. Not an alcohol drink bar, just a… well… a drink bar with practically every non-alcoholic drink in existence. And I'd thought it was a cabinet. Go figure.

Anyway, after some tea and a coffee-chocolate-ice drink called a Java Chip Frappuccino, which I'd never had before but had seen in Starbucks advertisements directed toward rich idiots who could actually _afford _to spend their money on useless stuff like that, I was good to go.

Sango brought out a bunch of sleeping mats for us and laid them all out on the floor of her living room. "So," she said, jumping into a sitting position, "Let's get started with the gift-exchanging! Anyone want to go first?"

Rin smiled brightly. "I will!"

She dragged her bag nearer to her, rummaging through it until she found a square package and pulled it out. "This is for you, Sango," she said, smiling. Looking a little embarrassed, she said hastily, "I know you probably already have plenty, but still… I thought it was nice."

Sango opened the package… and beamed. "This is great, Rin!" she said, holding up the bottle for all to see. "I'm always running out of polish for my Hiraikotsu, and… this bottle is so cute! It has a little boomerang on it."

And indeed, on the top of the sweet little glass bottle, was a tiny little porcelain boomerang, just smaller than key-chain size.

"The guy at the store said it works as a real boomerang," Rin put in, laughing. "I know it's a little weird, but I thought that was sort of cool."

Sango grinned at her. "It's awesome. I love it."

Rin could not have looked happier.

"So, who's the second person?" Sango asked, placing the bottle of polish gently beside her.

"Oh! Right," Rin laughed. "Well… I didn't really know what you'd want, Miroku… so I kinda just went with this… cause your hand's… ah… _cursed _and all," she said, stifling laughter. Now she had all of our curiosity. What could she have possibly gotten Miroku that had to do with his "cursed" hand? I didn't think a glove would make Sango any less likely to hit him.

Grinning, Rin pulled out a string of what looked like beads.

"Prayer beads!" she announced gleefully. "To ward off curses. Well, not real prayer beads. Those would be way too expensive. But still!"

Sango, Inuyasha, and I stared at the prayer beads, grins eating up our faces. I swear, for this, Rin is a genius.

"It's perfect!" Sango choked out, almost convulsing with laughter. "Absolutely, positively _perfect! _Rin, you are amazing."

Rin bit her lip, suppressing a smile. Her eyes were on Miroku.

Miroku took the prayer beads from her, turning them over in his hands. After a moment of deliberation, he slid them onto his right arm, a smile spreading across his face. "Thank you very much, Rin. We will have to see whether they work."

Miroku winked at Sango. And after considering whether to grimace, stick her tongue out, or hit him, Sango decided on sticking her tongue out.

Inuyasha and I exchanged an exasperated smirk.

"So who's going next?" Rin asked.

Sango grinned. "I will." Grabbing something from her bag, she pulled it out and looked at it. "This," she said dramatically, "Is for… Kagome."

I took the package from her, wondering what it could possibly be and whether she'd spent an amount of money I would disapprove of. After deliberating for several seconds, I decided that it really wasn't worth the agony.

I opened my present.

And stared.

"Sango, thank you _so much._"

It was a gift card to my favorite clothing store. Quickly I racked my brain to try to remember if I had ever mentioned its name to Sango, and although I could not remember, I could only assume that it had come up sometime in a conversation I had discarded. Or else Rin had told her; Rin, of all people, knew how much I loved _H. Takishima_'s clothes.

"Whoa," Rin said suddenly.

"What?" I asked, confused.

Then I saw it.

"Sango…" I couldn't resist saying meekly, "This is for two hundred dollars."

She grinned at me. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you can share it with Rin if you want, and when you think about it, it's not like this is a luxury. I mean, it's clothes. Everyone needs clothes."

I looked back at the gift card. Two hundred dollars. _Two hundred dollars…._

"Thanks," I said again.

It was all I could say. And when I thought of how I could buy new earrings for Mom, and share the money with Rin, I no longer wanted to complain.

Sango smiled widely, and I knew she understood what I felt.

"So, who's the second person?" Miroku asked innocently.

Sango smirked at him. "Hoping it's you?"

Miroku said nothing, but I could have sworn I saw him blush.

Sango only sighed and dug into her bag… and to my shock, a faint reddish tinge painted her cheeks. "As a matter of fact," she said, pulling out a small envelope, "It _is _you."

Miroku's eyes widened.

Sango opened her mouth as if trying to think of something to say, but no words came out. Finally she shoved the envelope into Miroku's eager hands, hiding her face while he opened it.

Miroku was very careful not to tear the envelope. He opened it with the utmost care, as if even the paper itself was precious. And maybe it was… maybe it was precious because _Sango _had given it to him?

But eventually he did open it… and blushed furiously.

"What? What is it?" Rin asked, glancing back and forth from Miroku to Sango in confusion. "Miroku… are you blushing?"

"I am not blushing." Miroku straightened up haughtily, looking at Sango.

Sango smiled hesitantly at him. "Well… you like it, right? I mean, you didn't already have one, did you?"

Her eyes widened with embarrassment, but Miroku quickly said, "No, no! This is amazing, Sango!"

I lost patience. "WHAT IS IT, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD?" I bellowed, realizing only after I had spoken that Inuyasha had yelled the same thing. We glanced at each other and blushed, looking away abruptly.

"Gimme that," Inuyasha growled, snatching the envelope from Miroku. Miroku glared, and Inuyasha grinned at him, saying, "What made you blush like that…." His eyes landed on the contents of the envelope, and he frowned at Miroku. "Okay, I get it, it's cool, but what's with the blush?"

Miroku smiled. "It is a ticket to a concert I have been aching to go to for the longest time… _Demon and Demoness. _Thank you very much, Sango. However… it is a bit ironic, for… I happened to get you the same thing."

And then, face as red as a tomato, Miroku pulled another envelope from his pocket. With shaking hands and wide eyes, Sango accepted it, tearing it open with a great deal less delicacy than Miroku.

"Miroku?" Sango asked. "What date and time is the concert on the ticket I gave you?"

Miroku glanced down at the ticket in his hand. "Next Saturday, nine o'clock p.m."

Sango stared at her ticket… and then at Miroku.

Slowly, little by little, their faces colored until they looked as if they had been painted scarlet.

Inuyasha whistled. I rolled my eyes; leave it to him to interrupt their moment. Elbowing him in the ribs, hoping he would get the message, I intently watched Sango and Miroku.

I sighed. I have no shame when it comes to my friends' love lives.

Inuyasha glared at me, but he seemed to get it. So instead of speaking, he focused on Sango and Miroku, and Inuyasha, Rin, and I all waited to see what would happen.

"Well…" Miroku said, seeming to think it over, "I suppose the only thing to do would be to go together, no?"

Sango glanced up at him. "Oh. Well. Yeah. Sure, that'd be fun."

Just him and her. I could see it now. They would be standing in darkness, swaying to the music, and the guitars would be blaring and the singers would be belting out those words to their hearts' content… and they would bump into each other, maybe accidentally, and be pressed together by the pulsating crowd… and they would look at each other, disoriented by the flashing lights, and lean closer….

And then Miroku would grab Sango's butt. End moment.

Sango and Miroku seemed to be imagining the same thing, but I couldn't tell whether their predictions matched up with mine. Slowly, Sango's face reddened, and so did Miroku's, until they stared at each other in utter silence. And their muteness spread to the rest of us, causing the room to fall into a curious quiet, a sort of nervous quiet, a quiet which for some reason was charged with energy.

"Sango… would you like to go to the concert with me?" Miroku asked nervously.

They had already agreed to go, but for some reason, when Miroku put it that way, it seemed a lot more serious. And Sango knew it. She flushed, staring at Miroku, stirring the words around in her head… probably wondering if he meant what she thought he meant.

"I… what do you mean?" Sango quickly shook her head, as if she regretted speaking the words as soon as she'd said them. "Never mind," she said.

I knew she knew what he meant. We all did. Now it was just her response that kept us in suspense.

"Well?" Miroku asked anxiously.

Sango frowned at him, biting her lip.

Miroku made a puppy dog face which, among teenagers, came second only to Inuyasha's. "Please…?"

Sango was cracking. I could see it. She chewed her lip, eyes scrutinizing Miroku, trying to sense his motives, probably trying to determine her own feelings.

"Please?" he said again.

When the nervousness disappeared and Sango glared, I knew she had cracked.

"Two rules," she said. "First—you are not going to try anything, grab my butt, or do anything I don't want you to do. Second… um…."

"Yes, my dear?"

Sango's eyes bulged, face scarlet. "STOP CALLING ME "DEAR"!"

Inuyasha and I grinned, glad that Sango was too embarrassed to notice (and subsequently punish us). Quirking his head to the side, Miroku asked, "Is that the second rule…?"

"I—well—no." Sango sighed. "No. The second rule is… just… stop flirting with other girls!" Miroku beamed. Sango backpedaled quickly, saying, "Just cause it's annoying and embarrassing, all right?"

Miroku's beam turned into a smirk. "'Other' girls, my dear?"

A groan escaped Sango's lips. But apparently sighing in resignation, realizing that there was no point arguing anymore, she huffed. "Look, those are the rules. If you break either of them, we're going home—me pissed off and you in a full body cast—and you will never get another chance again. Is that clear?"

Miroku grinned widely. "Like water, milady."

Sango blushed, harrumphed, and looked away. But we didn't need to see her red face to know her feelings.

**A/N: Hey guys! Thank you so much to Skittle Dog, k, xXthenextbookwormXx, LunaP, beautiful-surreal, Bunnyz, BGuate224, Icy, purduepup, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, Tomatosoup inc., Island Heart, ai, Roses Kiss, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, bear lover, luvInuyasha4evaandeva, Daichilover, Ch3rryKi55, and ai (and k again :P) for reviewing! You guys rock, as do all my readers... even though you don't review *scary face*! I love you all so much. But seriously… wouldn't you guys love to see your name listed here…? Wouldn't that feel pretty cool…? XD Well, review, people!**

** Thank you so much for the great reviews I got for the last chapter! They made my week, guys, and I can't even begin to describe how much I loved reading them and appreciate that you took the time to write them! So, review, and see you in four days give or take! ^^ **


	46. On Authenticity of Fake Dog Collars

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hey everyone! The chapter you have all awaited hungrily is here… I just hope it's good… but if you over-hyped it in your imaginative minds, that's your fault, not mine! :P**

**In all seriousness, though, I hope it's good. So read and review for me, kay? :D**

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX: ON AUTHENTICITY… OF FAKE DOG COLLARS

Miroku's second gift was to Rin, and it turned out to be a very pretty locket—tear-drop shaped, with nice, swirling designs on the front piece. And it was also the best kind of locket: an empty kind. I had always thought that the wearer should be able to choose what picture to put in a locket.

Rin beamed at Miroku, and he grinned at her. He couldn't have gotten her something more perfect.

I also couldn't help but be relieved that his idea of a gift wasn't a free massage, courtesy of Miroku.

Now it was down to me and Inuyasha, and suddenly, I was feeling very, very nervous.

Just as I had feared it would, the realization that Inuyasha had yet to receive a gift slowly began to creep up in our friends' eyes. Sango, who had recovered from her incident with Miroku, quirked an eyebrow at me. "Ah… Kagome… am I right in thinking that you got Inuyasha's name twice? I mean, unless he got his own name and just kept it," she added, smirking at Inuyasha.

Although that wasn't such an unreasonable suspicion, sadly, it was not true. I sighed, too worried to smirk and tease. "No… it's me."

Sango, Miroku, and Rin smirked at each other. Inuyasha stared at me.

"Will you guys stop looking at me like that, so I can give him the present?" I demanded. My voice, to my surprise, trembled. Why was I so nervous?

In my bag were two things. The fake dog-demon subjugation necklace… a joke… and the real gift.

I decided that the latter would be the last to give. Just in case Inuyasha took the necklace the wrong way, I could always get back on his good side with the real thing. Frowning, I realized that although it would be fun to tease him with the necklace, it _did _matter to me that he liked the other gift.

It mattered a lot.

"Okay," I said, digging in my bag. When my hand closed upon the necklace, I couldn't help but smirk. I didn't know how he would take this, but of course he would like the other one, so it didn't matter about his reaction to this, right? I mean, it was just a joke. Sure he'd be annoyed, but a joke is only a joke.

It was time to put aside my fears and enjoy myself. So I grinned.

This was going to be fun.

I pulled the necklace out of the bag and into view.

"This," I announced, "Is gift number one."

Inuyasha frowned in confusion. "What the… I don't wear…." But slowly, his voice faded, and his eyes widened until they bulged out of his skull.

"Wench," he growled, "I can't believe you got me a dog collar."

Sango, Miroku, and I lost our self control and burst into laughter.

"You… you got him…." Sango broke off for air, staring at the kotodama necklace with tears in her eyes. "That is _brilliant, _Kagome."

Rin looked from Inuyasha, to me, to Sango, and to Miroku, obviously very confused. "Uh… not to spoil the mood or anything, but that doesn't look much like a dog collar to me."

"I'll explain it to you later!" I choked out, laughing almost too hard to speak.

Inuyasha glared at me. "Why you…!"

"Aww, come on, Inuyasha, it's funny!" Sango grinned.

Inuyasha growled at her, but nobody would stop laughing.

"Put it on him, Kagome," Miroku said suddenly.

A rather disturbingly gleeful smile was stretched across our favorite pervert's face. And it wasn't the _I'm-going-to-touch-Sango's-butt-and-she's-going-to-hit-me-but-I'll-love-it _smile. It was the _I-know-something-you-don't _smile, which in my experience is infinitely more ominous.

But what could he know that I didn't? What was he thinking about?

"There is no way in hell—"

"Throw it at him, Kagome!" Sango cheered, interrupting Inuyasha, still laughing like crazy.

So I did. I threw the kotodama at Inuyasha, and somehow, miraculously, _impossibly, _it slid into place, hanging around his neck.

Sango took out her cell phone, the "SO GOING ON THE INTERNET" look shining in her eyes. Inuyasha grimaced at the necklace, which was a bit predictable.

Meanwhile, Miroku smiled innocently at me and said, "So, Kagome… what does this make you want to say?"

I looked at Inuyasha, who grinned menacingly at me, flexing his claws. And suddenly… I knew what I wanted to say. I knew what I wanted to say, and I knew that, in my mind, this was enough to make up for everything he had ever done to me. I would never forget what he had done, and I knew that this would not really hurt him at all, whereas the things he had said to me had caused me true pain. I had no wish to cause him pain; he was my friend. But this would definitely be annoying… and after this, we would be even.

So I grinned and said, still choking with laughter, "Sit, Inuyasha."

When Inuyasha Takahashi crashed to the ground and Miroku Watanabe burst into laughter of an unheard of volume, Sango, Rin, and I could only stare in shock.

* * *

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

That was how long it took me to come to my senses and yell, "What the heck was THAT?"

I ran to Inuyasha's side, followed quickly by Sango and Rin, who seemed equally perturbed. "Hey, Inuyasha! What happened?" I demanded. "Did you faint or something?"

Did he have low blood pressure? Did he have a condition where he fainted from stress? Sort of unlikely, seeing as he's been in plenty of stressful situations before, most of them much more dire than the present… but WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?

Apparently Miroku knew, because he only kept laughing.

Inuyasha peeled his face from the floor, visibly shaken, and predictably, the first words out of his mouth were, "What the fuck was that?"

Miroku just laughed harder.

"Ah… Miroku?" Sango asked warily. "Our best friend just crashed to the floor… I don't think this is the time to be laughing…."

Inuyasha sat up, rubbing his head. "It better not be, or else I can tell you you're not gonna be laughing much longer."

For some reason, Miroku could not stop the hysterics. He doubled over, clutching his stomach, shaking with laughter, until finally none of us could stand it anymore and screamed, "MIROKU!"

Miroku looked at us, eyes brimming with humor. "It's a… it's a… it's the… it's the _REAL_ _KOTODAMA_!"

Then his laughter submerged him once again.

Did _not _see that coming.

Sango, Rin, and I blinked. "What are you guys talking about?" Rin asked finally. "Is Inuyasha okay?"

"Hell, yeah," Inuyasha growled. "It takes more than a face-plant to mess me up." Narrowing his eyes at Miroku, he said, "What do you mean, it's the real kotodama?"

Miroku just smirked at us. "The dog demon collar which Kagome just placed on your neck—"

"More like threw it," I corrected guiltily.

Miroku smiled at me. "You are…" but then, appearing to remember Sango's conditions for their apparent date, Miroku diverted himself from whatever pointless flattery he'd been about to say and said instead, a bit weakly, "Perhaps."

I really wanted Sango and Miroku to go on a date, so I hoped that Miroku could keep up with the rules… but I definitely had my doubts.

We waited for his explanation.

"The dog demon collar which Kagome just… _threw _on your neck, Inuyasha, is the real, authentic, original subjugation necklace."

My first reaction was to blink. My second was to widen my eyes until it seemed like they would burst out of my skull.

"Are you saying," Inuyasha said slowly, grasping the necklace in one hand, "That this thing is the _real fucking five-hundred year old kotodama from the legend?_"

Miroku smiled gleefully. "That is _exactly _what I am saying."

Inuyasha and I stared at each other in utter shock.

"Wait," Rin said, frowning. "Are you talking about that legend? The one about the girl and the hanyou who defeated Naraku?"

"That would be it," I said grimly.

Do you know why I added "grimly" onto there? No, really, do you?

Cause I don't. I guess I just felt I needed to describe my feelings somehow… but I had no idea how to describe them. I mean, think about it. When you find out that the gift you got for your friend, the _joke_, is actually an ancient, authentic subjugation necklace that throws him to the ground at one word, HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO FEEL?

There was a beat of dead silence before something seemed to occur to Sango… something which made a wide grin spread across her face.

"Hey," she said, staring at me. "If that's the real necklace… and you just put it on him, and threw him to the ground… does that mean that you control the subjugation now?"

"Huh? Wait, what… I… I don't…."

But I stopped talking, because it would have been a lie. Finally, I knew what somebody was talking about. I knew what Sango meant.

I knew why Miroku was still choking with laughter.

Oh my god.

My lower jaw dropped, and Inuyasha glanced warily at me. "Wench, why are you looking at me like that?"

Oh my god.

"Oi!" he snapped. To me, he sounded and even looked a little afraid.

But definitely more annoyed.

Before I began to get any ideas, I needed to know. For sure. "So, Miroku," I said slowly, "All I have to do is say… _sit? _and—"

With a crash and a curse, Inuyasha slammed back to the ground.

Horror filled my eyes as I heard him yell, and I snapped my attention to where he lay, face firmly planted in the carpet. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean it! I mean—I didn't—sorry!"

Inuyasha only growled.

Meekly, I turned back to Miroku before Inuyasha could lift his head to fix me with what I was sure would be a very frightening glare. I said hesitantly, "So… all I have to do is say _the word_, and then he…?"

_Sits?_

?

Miroku grinned at me. "That would be correct."

Rin's eyes widened. "Oh my god."

Oh my god is right.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, _whoa. _Wait just one fucking minute," Inuyasha growled, picking himself up from the floor. "Are you saying that to make me crash headfirst into the ground, all she has to do is say some stupid _dog command _and—"

"That would be correct!" Miroku and Sango said brightly.

Sango turned to stare at Miroku, and said, grinning widely, "How did you know?"

He smiled at her, lifting her hand to his lips. "Spiritual power, my dear," he said, smiling.

Sango pulled her hand away from him, but she was laughing.

Three thoughts ran through my mind:

One. I have just subdued Inuyasha Takahashi.

Two. Miroku let it happen.

Three. I am going to MURDER Totosai.

Inuyasha gawked at them… and then at me.

I didn't see his expression, because I wasn't looking at his face. Rather, all my attention was fixed on a suddenly fascinating window towards the back of the wall. Before I decided what I was going to say, before I faced Inuyasha's wrath, I needed to decide how to approach this. Option A: apologetic. Pretty much, a big old "I'm so sorry I had no idea that was going to happen and I promise I will never say _sit _in your presence ever again." This option would probably restore things to normal, although I was sure that my other friends (besides Inuyasha) would be disappointed at the lack of drama. Maybe I would even go so far as to take off the kotodama… I could do that, right? I mean, I put it on, what's to stop me from taking it off?

So Option A was the safe way out… but the more I thought about this, the more my mind wandered through all the possibilities, and the more I reflected on how absolutely _thrilled _I would have been to have this happen about a week ago.

Maybe I didn't have to kill Totosai after all.

The next time Inuyasha was threatening some little kids, the next time he was being rude and completely inconsiderate of other people, all I would have to do was say the word and he would crash to the ground. I could train him to be a better person! Although he probably wouldn't appreciate that very much….

There had to be some use this new development could have. When you think about it, I could make Inuyasha do anything I wanted.

But then I found myself frowning, for something occurred to me. Inuyasha absolutely _hates _being in others' power. And for me to have that kind of control over him would probably be degrading. He would… surely, he would hate me for it.

It wouldn't be worth it to boss him around if it destroyed our friendship. And as annoying as he is… I like him for who he is. I wouldn't want to change that.

I sighed. Option A seemed safest… but Option B, which was pretty much taunting him about it, had its upsides too.

There had to be something, some way I could benefit from this without incurring his hatred for the rest of my life….

I grinned.

My decision made, I jerked my chin upward and faced Inuyasha, who, as expected, was… suddenly all my thought processes stopped. He wasn't glaring. He didn't even look furious. Annoyed as heck, yes, but… he wasn't giving me glares of death! He wasn't stabbing me with his icy golden eyes! He was… he was….

He was giving me the Inuyasha Grin. Maybe a bit of an edgy, _You'd-better-do-what-I-say-or-I'm-going-to-lose-my-grip-on-my-sanity _Inuyasha Grin, but still, an Inuyasha Grin.

"Wench," Inuyasha growled, grinning at me, "I don't know what you're thinking, but if you know what's good for you, you should promise me you will _never use that command again_."

Okay. That was a threat. But it didn't match his grin… sure, he was threatening me, but he wasn't grinning the _I'm going to kill you and enjoy it _grin. Like I said, he was grinning the Inuyasha Grin. His trademark.

The grin which said that however the tables might turn, he would always end up on top.

I tilted my head to the side and grinned my own grin. "Hmm… I don't know… that's an awful big thing to promise, you know…."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, all pretenses exploding into a bazillion pieces. "I mean it," he growled, standing up.

And then, just because I could, just because it was beginning to occur to me that there was almost nothing he could do about it, I grinned wider and rose to my feet. "Me, too."

Challenge made, challenge met.

Game on.

Sango, Miroku, and Rin watched us stare at each other, neither advancing, neither making any move at all… for me, because I had neither the inclination nor the ability to fight him (and because with my new weapon, I didn't need to). For him… probably cause he didn't want to hurt me, and cause even if he _did_ want to (which was a scary thought), he knew that at the sound of a word I could send him hurling into the floor. Which probably hurt.

So it was a battle of wills.

Inuyasha grinned. "I'm not someone you want to mess with."

"Believe me, I know," I said, grinning back at him. "So it's a good thing we're friends, right?"

"Keh, duh. So… you want to take this thing off my neck?"

I cocked my head to the side, weighing my options. "Well… see, that's my problem. On the one hand, I guess I could take it off. On the other… well…." I gave him an angelic little grin which I knew annoyed the heck out of him and said, "I'm not sure if I want to."

"Wench…."

Perfect opportunity.

"You know what?" I said. "I'm gonna leave it on. Don't worry, I won't torment you with it. I mean, you're one of my best friends now, and…" I paused for a moment, feeling an insane urge to blush. Since this probably was not the best time for that, I repressed the feeling and said guiltily, "And I really feel bad that I hurt you." Somewhat… "I swear, I had no idea it would do that."

Inuyasha stared at me, any shred of anger he might have possessed completely gone. He did look ticked off, but miraculously… _somehow_… he wasn't angry at me. He didn't hate me.

Instead, it seemed like he was questioning my sanity.

Why not angry? Why not furious and resentful, like I'd thought he would be? Well, okay, he was furious… absolutely furious… terrifyingly freaking furious… but that was different than hateful. I hadn't thought it would matter that we were friends… I had thought that he would have been wrathful at _anyone _who had done something like this to him. Even if it was completely by accident, like in this case. But even as I gazed into his eyes, trying to discern the reasons behind his feelings, I could not discover the cause of his lack of hate.

I say that it didn't look like he hated me… but there were three things that he _was. _A: annoyed. B: pissed. C: already plotting his revenge.

I smirked at that, cause I had a feeling that this time, for the _first time_, I had the upper hand.

Inuyasha grimaced suspiciously at me. "If you're not gonna do anything with it, why do you want to leave it on?"

I couldn't help but grin. "Because there _is _something I want to do with it."

Inuyasha's gaze became wary as his eyes narrowed. "Wench, I swear…."

My smile widened. "That's not my name."

Grinning, he said, "Well, who knows, it might be."

I shook my head. "_Wench_ is not, was never, and never will be my name, _Inuyasha. _You don't see me calling you dog boy all the time, do you?" He flushed a little, and I grinned and continued, "So… why won't you call me Kagome?"

Inuyasha stared at me… and then began to understand what I was saying.

"Are you saying," he growled, "That you want me to call you by your name… and if I don't… you're going to use the kotodama to smash me into the ground?"

I couldn't help but grin when I heard clapping from our audience. Really, I am brilliant.

"I'd prefer for you to call me Kagome," I said. "But if you can give me a real reason why you refuse to _call me my name_, then I'll let it slide. Otherwise, yeah, I'll say the S-word and smash you into the ground."

Once… twice… a few times, maybe…?

Inuyasha's eyes widened, and I knew that he knew what I knew: first, that there was no way he had a real reason why he couldn't call me my name. Second, that there was no way he could get out of this.

I am a freaking genius.

His brow creased in thought. I watched him, wondering what he would do. Evidently, he was wondering the same thing… also evidently, he was determined to find a way out of this.

But what way could there be?

Inuyasha straightened his shoulders. I straightened mine. Very carefully he looked me in the eye, smirked, and said, "Nice try, wench."

I stared at him.

After a beat of dead silence, I said a little worryingly, "You realize I'm going to S-I-T you, right?"

He shrugged. "Then do it."

A little fed up, I sighed with exasperation. "Inuyasha, what's so repulsive about my name that makes you refuse to say it? I don't get it! Can't you just give me a reason? If you have a legitimate explanation for why you've replaced _Kagome _with _Wench_, then I'll listen! I swear!"

Inuyasha looked at me for so long, so intently that I began to wonder whether he was actually looking at me at all. Rather than seeing me, it seemed as if he were seeing _through_ me… maybe seeing so far beyond me that he was looking into himself, trying to discern an answer from the murky waters which are his mind.

From the looks of it, he found none. Which is unsurprising, cause they're _murky._

"Keh," he muttered.

I could not remember a time when I wanted _so badly _to know what someone was thinking.

"Ka-go-me," I enunciated. "Just say it. It's not that hard."

Would he really rather kiss the floor than _say my name?_

Inuyasha smirked. "Wench."

That was it.

I sighed and opened my mouth to say the word which I was sure would make Inuyasha _finally _give in. For the first time in my life, I was powerful… I was more powerful than Inuyasha. No longer was I a weak human. I had a power which he could not destroy, a power which he could never evade.

I repeat: I am a genius.

…Let's just forget that this was all an accident, okay?

After a few make-out sessions with the carpet, Inuyasha would give in and say my name. Definitely. For a fleeting moment I had a vision of myself, standing on a stage, with thousands, millions of awed eyes revering my name: _Doctor _Kagome Higurashi, winner of the Nobel Prize for how to get a really annoying inuhanyou friend to stop calling you a wench….

But then Inuyasha saw that I really was going to say _sit_, and with a panicked look in his eyes, he did the only thing he appeared to be able to think of.

Which happened to involve jumping on top of me and pinning me to the floor.

Inuyasha took a step toward me and leapt with astonishing speed… probably triggered by a fear of getting squashed against the carpet. Now, what I hadn't expected, and what surprised me so much that I couldn't even think fast enough to say _sit_, was that he was leaping at _me_. And on a sure collision course.

Inuyasha grabbed my arms with a firm but somehow feather-light touch. Even when he began to fall on top of me, even when I hit the ground and he landed over me, he supported me the entire time, so that I felt no pain… unless complete shock and terror counts as pain. (Which it might, seeing as I was FREAKING TERRIFIED.) But anyway, even though to Sango, Miroku, and Rin it probably looked like he was trying to kill me (and it looked like that to me, too, by the way), it actually felt like although he was pinning me to the floor, he was trying very hard not to hurt me.

Or maybe he was just prolonging my demise.

I was starting to lean toward the second one.

Inuyasha grinned widely, hair falling like curtains around his head, and said, "Gonna sit me now, wench?"

Silently, I swore.

He had won again.

"Get off of me, Inuyasha," I growled.

Miroku, Rin, and Sango were giggling. Rather a lot, it seemed. I blushed, realizing that our position right now, to them, probably looked somewhat suggestive… and although Inuyasha blushed, too, obviously what it _looked like _wasn't one of his top priorities.

He seemed more concerned with avoiding getting thrust into the floor. I couldn't help but grin at that; it seemed that for the first time, Inuyasha had seen the light of reason.

"What the hell are you grinning about?"

Immediately the grin faded. Reminding myself I was supposed to be angry and that I was sandwiched between the floor and my psychotic half dog demon friend _who I'd just given a subjugation necklace_, I said, "Inuyasha Takahashi, get off of me right now or I'll…"

"You'll what?" he taunted, grinning, shaking with laughter. "Sit me? _Here?_"

The full implications of our situation hit me full in the face.

"So you're saying," I said, suppressing my growing aggravation and worry, "That you are just going to… stay there… until…?"

"Until I'm sure you're not gonna sit me," Inuyasha finished. "It's a safety measure."

Yeah.

Miroku chuckled. "A rather intimate safety measure if you ask me—"

"Shut up! We didn't!" We snapped at the same time.

Miroku stopped talking, but nothing could stop his laughter.

"So… kind of a stalemate, huh?" Inuyasha said.

"No," I said, my voice rising on panic. "If it were a stalemate, we would be stuck like this for the rest of our lives. Since that probably doesn't sound so great to either of us… we're just… uh… whatever! Look, will you just get off of me? Do you really want to give Miroku any more time to think of more innuendos?"

"Take the kotodama off, and then I'll get off."

I looked at his subjugation necklace, hanging from his neck. We were so close that one of the teeth on the necklace rested on my shirt.

I sighed… so much for my dreams.

"You might want to get up."

Inuyasha nodded, moving until he sat beside me, and I reluctantly grasped the necklace. It was cool in my hands, the beads resting quietly in my fingers. How could anything so simple be so powerful? I gazed at the necklace for a moment, resting against Inuyasha's collarbone… and the thought crossed my mind that it didn't look too bad on him.

But Inuyasha would never wear a dog collar or a subjugation necklace which could throw him to the ground, so it was no wonder he wanted it off.

I sighed a little, fingering the beads, and then looked into Inuyasha's eyes… which were closer than I had previously expected. Mentally shaking my head, reminding myself that I wanted to ask him a _question_, not gawk into his golden eyes like one of his idiot fangirls from school, I said in defeat, "I really don't get it. _Why_, Inuyasha? Why won't you call me by my name?"

Was it really so painful for him to give me my identity?

The last traces of annoyance left his eyes at the sound of my words… and they left them almost empty, until I realized that they were actually filled with _thought_. And it hit me, at that moment, that… Inuyasha didn't know either.

He really couldn't answer my question. And because he couldn't answer my question, it meant that there had to be something more to his refusal than just an attempt to tickle my nerves.

There was something else… but neither of us knew what it was.

"Keh," Inuyasha muttered. He was the one to break eye contact this time, and looked down a little, maybe at the necklace resting in my hands. "Just take the damn necklace off, will you?"

I grimaced. "Fine."

I didn't want to torment him by leaving the necklace on… but that didn't mean that I didn't regret missing out on the fun I could have had.

Gripping the necklace tighter, I pulled it over his head. Or I would have, if I could.

The necklace didn't budge.

I blinked for a moment… had I actually just failed to take a necklace off of somebody's neck? I mean, sure, maybe I've never been the most talented with jewelry, but thismuch I could handle.

I yanked the necklace again, and began to doubt my hand-eye coordination.

"Um…" I was blushing bright red now. As in, _fire-red_. "Well… I… hold on, I'll have it off in a second."

I tugged again. Harder, this time.

It was as if an invisible force pressed the necklace back down as soon as I'd lifted it from his shoulders.

"H-hey," Inuyasha said, nervousness creeping into his tone. "Wench. What's going on?"

Smiling guiltily and sensing that Inuyasha was very near a total mental break down (AKA, losing all self-control and _really _killing me), I said, "Ah… hehe… about that… well… just wait, I'll get it… don't worry…."

When Miroku began laughing again, I suddenly thought that maybe we _should _worry.

"Miroku," Inuyasha growled, "Why isn't the necklace coming off? Tell me it's just cause she's a klutz…."

"Hey!" I snapped. "I am not a klutz."

He grinned his grin at me. "For your sake," Inuyasha taunted, "You'd better hope you are."

Was that a taunt or a threat?

"Oi, Miroku," Inuyasha said, appearing to lose patience… though not taking it out on me, I noticed to my relief. And I had to wonder whether that was because he was being nice, or because he didn't want to get sat into oblivion.

It was probably the latter, but either way, I wasn't complaining.

Miroku chuckled. "Well, Inuyasha," he said, "I would have to say that the reason the necklace refuses to come off his because Kagome does not want it to come off."

Inuyasha and I stared at him, and then chorused, "Huh?"

Sighing between laughs, Miroku said, "The legend of the kotodama is that the priest or priestess to place it on the demon—in this case you would be the demon, Inuyasha, and Kagome, you would be the priestess—must really, truly wish for the necklace to be removed to remove it. It can only be removed by the one who placed it… and at that, only if they truly wish it. Not," Miroku smirked, "If they are under threat."

Inuyasha and I stared at each other for what felt like several whole minutes.

Well, that would make sense, I supposed… as much as I was _willing _to remove the kotodama, that didn't really mean I _wanted _to, did it? And as long as I didn't really, truly want to take it off… then… I grinned.

All his death threats were moot.

Unless he decided to carry them out.

"So it'll never come off?" Inuyasha asked finally, dumbstruck. "I'm stuck with this thing for the rest of my life… or until Wench over there _wants to take it off?_"

"Hey!" I yelled in his ear. "I'm right here, you know! Not _over there._"

Inuyasha turned on me. "Why don't you want to take it off?"

Shrinking back a little, I said nervously, giggling a little, "Ah… well… let's weigh the pros and cons, here. See, if I took it off, then okay, it's all back to how it was, and it's a memory we can annoy you about later. But if I leave it on… well… for one thing, I can make you call me Kagome, which you really should be doing anyway… and also… well, when you start looking like you're going to kill me… for instance, ah, now… I… INUYASHA SIT!"

Inuyasha slammed the floor mid leap, just millimeters away from my leg. Rin looked a little worried for him, but Sango and Miroku looked as if they had never seen anything funnier in their lives.

And despite the fact that I was a little worried for his health, I couldn't deny that this was really funny.

"Hey… uh… that kinda looks like it hurts…."

My concern was probably marred by my laughter, but it's the thought that counts. Not that the thought, in this case, was much better.

Inuyasha muttered into the carpet, "Ya _think?_"

"Look." I sat down next to him, and he looked up at me warily. Quirking my head to the side, I smirked and said, "Are you planning on getting up any time soon?"

"Not while you're trigger happy, I'm not," he said flatly.

I sighed. "Okay, okay. That's reasonable. Anyway… look, I don't like causing you pain. As funny and useful as it is, I feel kind of bad, so… will you please just call me Kagome? It's really not that much to ask. Then I promise, I'll never use this thing again."

Even as I said it, I was beginning to regret that promise. First, because it would just become one of my many regrets.

Second, because I was beginning to doubt whether I could keep it.

Inuyasha sat up a little. "You swear?" he asked seriously.

I grimaced, chewing my lip… and then nodded vigorously.

What the heck. I never claimed to be a woman of superior integrity.

He sat up straighter a little, seeming to mull it over, and I waited with baited breath. Actually, from the lack of breathing going on in the room, I got the feeling that _everyone _was waiting.

Inuyasha smirked, immediately setting me on edge and ready to pull out the s-word, which curiously enough, I was already getting used to.

"Well… let's way the pros and the cons," he said. "If I called you your name… you'd never use the subju-whatever thing again. And okay, that would be pretty good, but…."

But what? What was the reason behind his obstinate maintenance of _wench? _What did he feel like he would be giving up? What was the con to calling me my name?

"Everyone else calls me Kagome, and they don't seem to be dropping dead around us," I said dryly.

Smirking a little, he said, "I'm not everyone else.

"So… cons… well… if I called you your name, then…."

But whatever he was thinking, whatever brought that thoughtful light into his eyes, whatever made a strange nervousness replace the mocking glint, he didn't seem to be able to be put into words.

So Inuyasha grinned again and said, "Nice try, wench, but not even a subju-whatever-the-hell necklace is gonna force me to call you something I don't want to call you."

He had to be joking.

My eyes narrowed. "Fine. If that's how you want it, then…"

Inuyasha's eyes widened, but for some reason he didn't jump on me again. Instead he twitched a little, as if thinking of something he could do, but deciding at the last minute not to, leaving him defenseless to the power of the kotodama.

I opened my mouth to say the word… and closed it before it came out.

"If that's how you want it," I said slowly, smiling a little, "Then I guess there's nothing I can do about it.

Inuyasha, Miroku, Rin, and Sango all stared at me.

"That's IT?" Miroku and Sango shrieked, a bit violently.

"That's all you're going to say?" Sango demanded. "You're not going to milk this at all?"

Inuyasha and I had to lean backward a little from the very frightening auras radiating from Miroku and Sango, who had clearly been looking forward to an entertaining conflict.

"Sorry to disappoint you," I said, grinning, "But I'm not planning on S-I-T-ing Inuyasha to the core of the Earth today." Giving him a sidelong glance, I added ominously, "No promises about later, though."

Seriously, no promises. Inuyasha would not call me by my name, and therefore our deal was off… I could use the subjugation whenever I wanted. And although I didn't intend to abuse it, I began to think that it might come in handy, the next time Inuyasha said something particularly annoying or vulgar.

Miroku and Sango sighed in disappointment. Meanwhile, Rin looked on with interest and approval, obviously very surprised at my maturity.

Seeing as I'm not really the most mature person you'll ever come to meet, believe me, I am surprised too. And I had a feeling that my restraint would not last forever.

Inuyasha glanced suspiciously at me. "So you're saying," he said slowly, "That you're not gonna sit me at all?"

"Not for this," I said with a shrug. "I mean, I don't want you to call me by my name just because I forced you to. If you're going to call me Kagome, I want it to be because you choose to… not because you did it under threat of death."

Well, not really death, but you get the picture.

Inuyasha grinned a little, though obviously he was confused. "So… I can get up?"

"Sure."

Very cautiously, obviously suspecting that I was lying, Inuyasha rose to his knees and to his feet.

I'm a jerk. But the opportunity was just too good to miss.

"Siiiiii…."

Inuyasha hit the floor with a boom before I'd even finished the word, and the others and I burst out laughing.

"Why you…" Inuyasha glared at me, "_Wench,_ you tricked me…."

"Yep," I said cheerfully.

Who knew kotodamas could be this much fun without even using them?

Inuyasha jumped to his feet now, grinning widely. "Okay, wench. If that's how you want it."

Wench… why did he thrust the word in my face so often? As if to remind me that he refused to give me my name, that to him I would always be _wench? _Why?

But then, taking a deep breath, I realized something which I had never even thought about before today… which was that my words just a minute ago were absolutely true. I didn'twant him to call me Kagome… not if it were against his will. I didn'twant to force him to make me someone I am not. And if he wants to call me wench that badly… if that really was the truth… then maybe I could just get over it. Maybe it didn't matter so much.

A name is only ever a name.

I could wait until he was ready.

Inuyasha quirked one eyebrow, seeing my thoughtful expression. "Hey," he said, grin gone, eyes confused. "What are you thinking about?"

His dog ears twitched, and just like back in the gym on that day which felt so long ago, I felt an incredible urge to rub them. Closing my eyes, I shook my head… for real this time. What was I thinking? Why would I want to rub his ears?

And then my eyes opened, and I knew.

It was because they were freaking adorable. And no matter how annoying Inuyasha could be… I really had to accept the fact that… that Inuyasha… is….

"You okay?"

A good looking guy. And not only in the way that his ears were enchanting. Actually, every part of him was attractive, really… on the outside. ON THE OUTSIDE! There. I said it. He's good looking in a way which I have never, _ever _seen another male look. And that's the truth.

But it takes more than looks for me to like a guy, and his personality….

"Hey, are you choking or something?" Inuyasha asked, a little alarmed.

I laughed silently to myself at that, wondering what my face looked like. As I'd been saying, his personality….

Why couldn't I finish the sentence?

I'd been planning on saying that no matter how good looking Inuyasha was, his personality was not compatible with mine. I'd been planning on saying that he could be the hottest guy in the universe… which he actually might be, but it's none of my concern, anyway… and I still would never like him as more than a friend. Inuyasha was a good-looking guy, and he was a good friend and a good target for a kotodama. That was what I'd planned on saying.

And yet I couldn't complete the notion even in my thoughts.

"Okay, okay," Inuyasha said, rolling his eyes. "If you don't want to talk, fine. But I have a question, wench. Why aren't you milking this whole kotodama thing? I mean, I'd be able to find a way to stop you from sitting me anyway, so don't let your ego get too big, but… if it were me and the dog collar was on _you_, I'd be having the time of my life with it."

I had to roll my eyes at that, but after I was done with my usual _Inuyasha-is-so-immature-and-irritating _spiel, I smiled. "Well, I'm not you, Inuyasha. But don't let it go to _your _head either. I'm not using it now, but… who knows what the future holds?"

Inuyasha _Keh'd_.

Miroku, Rin, and Sango exchanged a glance, and then Inuyasha got my attention again by saying, "Hey, don't you have something else for me? Something _less _annoying?"

I glared at him. "I do."

Grinning, he said, "Then hand it over, wench."

I rolled my eyes a little, digging through my bag for the coupon. "So… aren't you going to say thank you? Or _please?_"

Inuyasha stared at me. "Keh, for what?"

I lifted the coupon from the bag, hiding it within my hand, and smiled. "Well, the thank you would be for me not _milking _the kotodama, and the _please _would be for your next present."

And then, just like I'd thought he would, Inuyasha grinned and stared at me and asked with some amount of sincerity, "Are you out of your fucking mind, wench?"

I sighed. Well, he was asking for it.

"First, here's your second present. Second… before I give it to you… sit."

Inuyasha slammed to the floor, swearing and muttering something like, "Abusive woman."

I winked at Miroku, Sango, and Rin, and then grinned at Inuyasha, who raised his eyes to glare murderously at me. I glared right back, and for a second we stayed like that, eyes connected and fire racing between us, until finally he cracked a smile. Well, an Inuyasha Grin, to be exact.

"Wench," he said, smirking and glaring at the same time, "I'll find a way. I swear. One way or another, I'll win. Not even a kotodama can change the way of the universe."

I smirked right back at him. "Sure, Inuyasha."

Now he was glaring. "I'm serious!"

"Well… in that case… si—"

Inuyasha ducked his head back on the floor, and I laughed hysterically.

"Kidding, kidding."

Up till now, it had definitely seemed like the universe was determined to make me forever at Inuyasha's mercy. Or at least weaker than him. Something like that. But now, for the first time, it seemed like the universe had….

Had a mood swing.

Just the idea made me laugh even harder.

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you to Tomatosoup inc., beautiful-surreal, Ch3rry Ki55, purduepup, BGuate224, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, Icy, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, xXthenextbookwormXx, Roses Kiss, EmoKittenz, Daichilover, mika, k and ai, EmoKittenz again, k and ai again, Bunnyz, LunaP, Maiden of the Silver Fires, Island Heart, and bear lover! I hope this chapter was as good as you were hoping! Please review and tell me!**

** And also, I'd like to bring your attention to a few of my friends and readers, both of whom have great stories which are definitely worth reading if you're looking for other fanfics! Daichilover has really imaginative storylines and she just published a new story called Death Angels, and purduepup's characters are incredibly complex and she's got a killer sense of humor! But guys, two of her stories ARE rated M, and M is M for a reason :P. Both of you guys, thanks for being constant, great reviewers and readers! :) And thanks to everyone! A lot of my reviewers have stories on their profiles, so if you want to check them out, go ahead! You're all awesome, I love you all (not in a creepy way :P), please keep reading and reviewing and everything, I will update in four days give or take (and I'm sorry, by the way, that this chapter happened to be a "give" XD)**


	47. The Reason Why

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: GAAAAAAAAH! EIGHT DAYS I AM SO FREAKING SORRY. Anyway, in answer to the question which one of you voiced and the rest were probably wondering: no, I did not sleep all the last eight days. I had auditions on the second day, was writing the third, fourth, and fifth days, had a block on the sixth day, and then, so conveniently, lost half of our electricity and our INTERNET *dies* on the seventh. No excuse, I know. But please, try to forgive me! I hope this chapter makes up for it! Read and review! :D **

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN: THE REASON WHY

I've always been taught that ending with a good impression is always better than ending with a suicidal one, so I'm REALLY glad I gave the kotodama to Inuyasha before the real gift. Searching through my bag for the coupon, I turned my head away so Inuyasha couldn't see me struggling to hold back laughter.

This day will go down in history.

First life changing event—Kagome and Inuyasha hug.

Second life changing event—Sango asks Miroku on a date.

Third life changing event—Kagome subjugates Inuyasha for _ever._

Fourth life changing event—Kagome admits Inuyasha is attractive.

I'm not sure which is the most shocking, but I have a feeling that the reason I said it in third person has something to do with the third one.

Hysterical laughter bubbled to my throat for no reason at all, and I worked to suppress it, cause I didn't want to get carted off to an insane asylum just after my moment of triumph.

My hand closed upon the coupon.

"Oi, wench. This'd better not be some kind of earring that stabs my brain."

We all giggled, and I turned around to grin at Inuyasha. "I don't know… I mean, I thought that the other thing was just a dog demon collar, too, so I guess _theoretically_—"

When Inuyasha stiffened, giggles turned into hysterical laughter.

I swear, that asylum has a room reserved especially for me.

"Kidding, kidding," I said… though not before waiting long enough that it looked like Inuyasha might choke. As the red faded from his face, I smiled at him—and he stared at me, probably thinking two things: a) why the _frack_—yes, FRACK, people_—_is she smiling and b) why the hell didn't I notice she had a multiple freaking personality disorder.

It seemed that I was starting to blend in with the Tokyo crowd after all.

"I meant the kotodama as a joke," I explained. "I figured since I was getting you two things, I may as well get you one that would annoy you."

I decided to leave out the part about how that was mostly cause I couldn't think of anything _else _to give to him.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Keh. I would've done the same."

Quirking my head at him, I wondered whether that was meant as a dismissal… forgiveness? But then I sighed a little. No, Inuyasha doesn't forgive or dismiss… not that easily. In fact, the only reason that he wasn't yelling at me right now was probably because he didn't want to get his face flattened again.

My eyes turned sad.

Inuyasha flicked his gaze to mine, and I don't know what he saw there, but whatever it was disturbed him even more than brain-stabbing earrings. Stiffening, he stuttered, "H-hey, what's wrong?"

I blinked slightly, as if coming out from a daze. "What…?"

"You… hell, I don't know…." Inuyasha pouted in that way that makes me want nothing more than to run to him and hug him. It's something in the set of his lips, the droop of his ears… it's something I can't really describe, except to say that it makes him look almost like a puppy.

"You looked sad," he muttered.

The pout slowly disappeared, and as it was replaced by Inuyasha's usual look, I felt a red tinge appear on my cheeks.

Inuyasha noticed as well, and maybe that was what made him shout a bit too loudly, "Not like I care!"

Sango, Miroku, and Rin groaned.

But even though he had put his foot in his mouth, even though he had pretty much told me that he didn't give a crap whether or not I was sad and didn't care about me at all, I smiled.

He may be an idiot… but he _so _cares.

And I had to ask myself why that mattered so much to me.

I took the coupon out of the bag. "I got this from the same guy that gave me the kotodama," I said. Grimacing, I added, "I actually didn't _know _it was a real kotodama. He told me it was a _fake _one."

Though looking back, remembering what he'd said, you would've thought I'd have been at least a _little _suspicious….

"Keh," Inuyasha said, grinning at me. "You must be pretty gullible to fall for a lie like that."

I went still.

Rin, being the mind-reader-for-all-technical-purposes that she is, giggled. But Inuyasha, being the-most-dense-and-most-cute-guy-I've-ever-met-in-my-life, gave me a long glance and said warily, "Wench… what are you doing?"

Well, I was _doing _nothing.

I sighed. "Stand up for a second, Inuyasha."

Frowning at me, obviously doubting my sanity when really he should have been doubting _his_, Inuyasha got to his feet.

"Sit."

Inuyasha slammed into the ground, and Miroku and Sango fell over laughing.

"Wench… I should've seen that coming…."

That just made me laugh harder.

"Sorry, sorry!" I giggled. "Just couldn't resist."

Inuyasha looked up from the carpet to give me a murderous glare, before sitting up haughtily.

"Takes more than that to mess me up," he said, throwing a smirk my way. "Just give me the damn present."

I groaned at his rudeness, but thinking that it might be a little abusive to sit him twice in a row, I prepared to give him the coupon.

And suddenly became nervous.

What if for some reason he didn't like the gift? Even though the kotodama was definitely a positive, I wanted to get something that would mean something to him, too… and the idea that I might end the day having given him nothing that he liked upset me.

I shook my head. For one thing, what did I have to fear? Of course he would like the gift, he had no reason not to… right?

For another thing, why did I care so much in the first place? Why was my heart pounding against my chest?

When it comes to Inuyasha, sometimes I don't understand myself anymore.

But now wasn't the time to think about that. Now was the time to buck up and give Inuyasha his present.

Now was the time to do a Sango—and by that I mean thrust it into his hands without looking at his face, NOT KNOCK HIM UNCONSCIOUS!

Despite my will, my eyes slipped toward Inuyasha.

I really have no self control, do I?

Inuyasha frowned at the piece of paper, turning it over in his hands. I watched his eyes go back and forth, back and forth across the coupon… I watched his brain process the words… I watched him frown at the signature at the bottom of the page.

WHY COULDN'T THE GUY GIVE ME A FREAKING REACTION?

There was a pause, during which Inuyasha scrutinized the coupon, I trembled for-who-knows-what-reason with fear, Sango and Miroku leaned closer to Inuyasha to try to see why I'd given him a piece of paper as a present, and Rin gazed anxiously at me, wondering whether she should try giving me the Heimlich. And maybe she would've given me it eventually—heck, if Inuyasha had waited one more minute to look up at me, I probably would've needed CPR.

Luckily for me, he didn't.

"Hey…." He frowned at me, quirking his head to the side. "Is this for my Tetsusaiga?"

Completely thrown off guard and saved from resuscitation and/or shock pads to the chest, I blinked. Tesusaiga? What the heck is a Tetsusaiga?

Wait a minute….

"Is that the name of your sword?" I asked in surprise.

Inuyasha grimaced. "Keh. If you can call that piece of crud a sword." He looked back at the coupon… turned his newly bright eyes back to me… and said eagerly, "Can this guy really fix my sword?"

I couldn't help but grin; I had a feeling that this was a positive reaction.

"He seemed like the real deal, for sure," I said.

Excitement began to rise in me as I realized: Inuyasha liked the present. Inuyasha was _excited! _That was the only way I could describe that look in his eyes—excitement. If anything, he was thrilled.

Grinning ruefully at him, I said, "I don't think he's your biggest fan, though."

Inuyasha tore his eyes away from the coupon to grin an even bigger grin right at me. Not even the Inuyasha Grin—this was a grin of… of… excitement?

A slight smirk entered his voice as he said, "Keh. I don't need him to be my biggest fan. Though seeing how hot I am it might be hard to believe, I'm not the most popular guy around so I can deal with some dirty looks."

Dirty looks he would soon be getting… from both Totosai _and _myself.

I sighed, smirking at him. "What's hard to believe is that you don't have even _more _enemies, seeing how big your ego is."

Inuyasha stuck out his tongue at me—and I almost died from laughter.

But curiously, a frown crossed his face. "Who the hell is this Totosai guy, though?"

Well… _that _caught me off guard.

Okay. I've only known Inuyasha for two weeks, and I know enough about him to know that he has a bit of a talent for making enemies at first sight. You know, like _love_, except with _hate _instead? So, yeah… probably not the best life skill to be born with… but you make do with what you have, I guess.

But for all Inuyasha's talent in the art of war—I swear, he must've read that book. In fact, whether he's read it or not, he's a natural! He should write his own book about how to make enemies without even trying! It'd sell millions of copies! Not like he needs any more money….

Hmm… how to make enemies without even trying… why am I getting a sort of déjà vu feeling here…?

Anyway. So as I was saying, for all Inuyasha's talent in the art of war and enemy-making—and believe me, there's a _lot _of talent there—I didn't think even he could make somebody hate him without even MEETING them.

So I burst out with, "Are you telling me you've never even _met _Totosai?"

Wholly unaware of my turmoil and obviously nonplussed by the fact that some weird guy he'd never met was out to get him, Inuyasha shook his head.

Inuyasha didn't know Totosai, but Totosai definitely knew _him. _That was beyond a doubt. I mean, why else would a sane person—screw that, Totosai's not sane. Why else would _Totosai _go through all the trouble to trick a random stranger into SUBJUGATING HIM?

Now, more than ever before, I was absolutely positive that Totosai had known what the kotodama would do. Mental note to Kagome: never, ever trust guys with three-eyed cows….

And déjà vu strikes again!

Sango, Miroku, and Rin, who obviously had read the coupon and realized that my gift to Inuyasha was more than a nice, green colored piece of paper, glanced at me. "Totosai's the one that gave you the kotodama, right?" Sango asked. "So… did he know the truth about what the necklace would do?"

I nodded. "I think so."

Inuyasha growled.

"But _aside _from that," I said pointedly to him, "I think you should probably wait to kill Totosai until after he's fixed your sword, am I right?"

Inuyasha brightened considerably, maybe not even realizing that whatever our qualms with Totosai and his _integrity_, I would sit Inuyasha into the core of the Earth before I let him murder some poor, deluded old guy in cold blood.

"But why would he want to subjugate Inuyasha if he doesn't even know him?" Miroku asked, tilting his head.

Probably feeling left out, Sango and Rin quirked their heads to the side, too.

I looked at Inuyasha again. "He's an old man… owns a store called _Spiritual Origins… _has a demeanor that makes you think he's more than a little senile… rides a three-eyed cow/ox thing that breathes fire… does none of this ring a bell?"

You would think that if he'd met somebody like that, he'd _remember _them.

Inuyasha shook his head. "I don't have a clue who the hell this old geezer is, but after I thank him for fixing my sword—and for your _other gift—_I guess we'll find out, right?"

I grinned at that. Even I had to admit that I was dying to know how Totosai knew, or thought he knew, Inuyasha.

Said half demon didn't seem to be as curious about that as me. In fact, he didn't seem to care at all—it was like, "Keh, some geezer I don't know wants me buried several miles under the earth. Who cares!"

This guy either has no survival instinct or has no interest in self preservation… but for some reason, that made me smile.

That's just the way Inuyasha is.

He glanced at me and saw me smiling, and the abruptness of the moment made us both look away abruptly, me blushing furiously.

"Keh… uh… thanks," Inuyasha muttered. "For the sword fixing thing."

"You're welcome."

He liked it. And even though I didn't look at him as I said it, I meant that "You're welcome" more than he could ever have known.

Working up the courage to meet his eyes, I said, "So… don't you need to give out your gifts now?"

Inuyasha, for whatever reason, paled.

"K-keh!" he muttered. "Yeah… I guess."

But Inuyasha was silent and brooding.

"Inuyasha?" I prodded. "Who are the gifts for?"

Why was I asking about this? Why was it me who was leaning forward, wondering who he had gotten things for? Why did I care so much that I kept myself in suspense rather than just going back and figuring out who had gotten all their presents?

Inuyasha glanced at me, glanced away, and _keh'd_.

His voice shook with nervousness as he said, "Uh… Rin! Here!"

We all raised our eyebrows as he nearly threw something at my sister. Rin, taken aback as much as the rest of us, raised her hands to defend herself—from her present.

"Haha… sorry, Inuyasha!" she said apologetically, picking up whatever it was with considerable more care. "I just… uh… well…."

He rolled his eyes. "Oi, it's okay. Don't worry about it."

Rin smiled briefly at him, and then turned her eyes to the present. You would think that the worst part would be actually giving the present, but no… if anything, Inuyasha looked even more nervous. But why should he be nervous? It was just Rin, right? Why should she matter so much…?

I froze.

_Just Rin. _I couldn't believe I had just thought that. _Just Rin. _What was I thinking? What in the world possessed me to think something like that about my sister? Like she wasn't even important?

It was true, though…. Hidden in my horror and disgust at myself, a small voice told me it was true. To Inuyasha, Rin was just another girl, an acquaintance, a friend he didn't know very well… right? I was right to be confused, to be… to be… worried? Distressed? Right?

And with a shock, I realized that that was exactly what I was: distressed.

I was distressed because Inuyasha was nervous about giving a present to Rin.

I tore myself away from those thoughts to watch my sister open her gift.

"It's…." Rin's eyes lit up, and she smiled gratefully at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, thank you!"

"What is it?" Sango asked.

It was me who should have been asking that question. It was me, her sister, her best friend, who should have been leaning in to see what he'd given her. But it wasn't me. Instead, it was Sango who was asking. It was Sango who cared.

It was me whose muscles were stiff, who refused to look at Inuyasha or at Rin, who was too afraid of seeing their eyes meet to look up when he said, "It's nothing."

And then a revelation hit me with the speed of a charging train.

Oh my god.

Suddenly terrified, suddenly afraid of more than just Inuyasha or Rin or his nervousness or her gift, I forced myself to look at them… to not think anymore.

Sango and Miroku were looking at Rin to see what he had given her—and I realized that the gift was actually a charmed stuffed animal: a baby tiger. Rin's favorite.

The stuffed tiger mewed as Rin petted its head.

Just to clarify some things, let me explain to you what a "charmed stuffed animal" is. It looks like one of those stuffed animals you buy for little kids—and admittedly, it usually is for the younger group. Not sixteen year olds. But it looks like a high quality stuffed animal, very adorable, except that it acts like a real, live creature.

It is also something that Rin has wanted for _years. _

All my fear, all my distress gone, mind left curiously blank, I looked to Inuyasha to see his reaction.

Inuyasha was even paler than he had been before.

This made no sense to me at all. He had given Rin the gift, and even though he had been nervous, she obviously liked it. So why was he still nervous? Why wasn't he happy? Why did he look like he was about to throw up?

Inuyasha straightened, sat up, and looked at me.

And then I knew that his last present was for me.

I didn't dare to hope that that was why he was still nervous. I didn't _want _to hope that that was why he was still nervous. Why should he feel nervous giving me a gift? Why should I feel nervous giving him a gift? Was that what he was feeling now? Was it what I had felt before giving him my gift to him? Was it that sinking feeling, that heavy pressure, that sickly dizziness…?

Was it because of _me? _Not Rin, but me?

At the moment, I didn't have the bravery to ask myself why that made me feel lighter than air.

Inuyasha grimaced, sat up even _farther, _took something out of his pocket, and spoke.

"Oi… look, I'm not good at getting people presents," he muttered, looking away. "But… I thought you might like this, and it's useful, too… so… here."

Inuyasha held out a small black box, and hesitantly I took it from his palm.

And opened it.

"Inuyasha…."

It was beautiful. That was the only word I could think to describe the necklace which lay beneath the lid I'd just removed. I held the thin gold chain delicately between my fingers as I lifted it, and the gem attached to it, out of the box and dangled them for all to see.

Sango and Rin gasped, and they and Miroku stared at Inuyasha, who blushed furiously.

"K-keh! It's nothing, wench!"

The gold chain which shimmered in the light certainly wasn't nothing. The gem which dangled at the end of the necklace, tear-drop shaped with an engraving of a flying swan carved into the front, was certainly not nothing.

Inuyasha looked at me, then at the necklace, and slowly leaned forward and touched the tear gem. "It's a ward," he muttered. "As long as you wear it, it'll protect you from demons that want to hurt you."

I'd learned by now that that was no small deal.

And it certainly was not "nothing."

I looked up at him, and maybe it was because he'd leaned forward and we were closer than usual, maybe it was because of what I'd just minutes ago realized about myself, but I blushed, too.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

Inuyasha's eyes widened infinitesimally. "Keh," he said, averting his eyes. "It's nothing."

But even though he refused to turn his face my way, I felt his eyes on me as I fastened the necklace around my neck. The gold chain dangled delicately across my collarbone and I shivered despite myself, unaccustomed to the coolness of the metal. Was it real gold, I wondered? And the ward, which so resembled a pale sapphire, was it really a sapphire? Surely not. Surely it was crystal, surely it was only made to look like sapphire. But as I tilted my head downward to watch it shimmer as it dangled on my chest, I couldn't help but wonder.

Inuyasha stared at the necklace in what almost seemed to be surprise, but when he saw that I'd noticed his gaze, he quickly turned away.

"Well," I said, smiling, "How does it look, guys?"

Sango and Rin stared at me with envy, but their eyes glowed. "Amazing," Sango said, as Rin said, "That looks beautiful, Kagome!"

Miroku smiled. "It's gorgeous, lady Kagome. I don't know how Inuyasha managed to find such a perfect necklace."

When Inuyasha's name was mentioned, we all turned to look at him again. Probably not too thrilled about the attention, Inuyasha turned around to glare at us, trying to hide what looked to be a blush. "Keh. I got it cause of the ward, not cause it was pretty. I… I thought you would like it."

A smile spread across my face, and I said something which I was surprised to find I meant with all my heart. "I love it."

I stroked the necklace and realized that I _did _love it. Despite the possibility that it really was gold and sapphire, despite the possibility that Inuyasha really might have spent far too much money on this one gift, despite the fact that it, like Sango's Acura and like Inuyasha's mansion, was just another example of Tokyo's excessive wealth, I loved this necklace more than I could say.

"Good," Inuyasha muttered. "Uh… it looks good on you."

Smiling, a light pink painting my cheeks, I thought that the reason I was so attached to this necklace might not only because it was useful and beautiful.

"Thanks."

He'd really complimented the _necklace, _not me. He'd said the necklace looked good—he hadn't said _I _looked good. But he had also said it looked good _on me_… and that could mean he said _I _looked good with the necklace, right? But did that mean he didn't think I was pretty normally?

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and asked myself why I cared.

Sango, Miroku, and Rin looked between us, and for some reason unfathomable to both me and Inuyasha, they smiled.

Or maybe _smirked._

We stayed up late into the night—or morning, depending on your point of view—talking and eating junk food. The stars shined and our eyelids drooped and still we talked and laughed until we could barely move our mouths. And when we thought that we were going to drop dead of exhaustion if we didn't go to sleep, we laid down on the floor, on our sleeping bags, and shut off the light.

The room was unexpectedly dark with the windows shut to extinguish the moon.

I sleepily raised a hand experimentally in front of my face, and when I couldn't see it, when I couldn't see anything at all, not even the barest outline, I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. But for all my fatigue, I couldn't manage it.

Turning over on top of my sleeping back, I sighed a little, looking to my side to where I imagined Inuyasha slept beside me. For some reason I couldn't picture him sleeping—I couldn't picture him with his face open, his jaw relaxed, his breathing slow. It just wasn't an image that made sense to me. But despite all my doubts, as my eyes adjusted to the dark, I saw that the half demon sleeping beside me was indeed the one I had come to care for.

I had come to look at him with an unexpected amount of tenderness, and for some reason, when he was asleep, when he was defenseless and not grinning and not teasing me, it was easier for me to come to terms with that fact.

In his sleep, Inuyasha grimaced, scratching the kotodama which hung around his neck. Feeling a little guilty, I smiled to myself.

That was just like him.

His hand relaxed, his face slackened, and he turned his head so that our faces were inches apart. For a second I worried he would wake to find me staring at him, but as far as I could tell, he was sleeping like the dead.

Worried… why would I worry about that? Why should I worry about what he thinks of me?

I grimaced, beginning to think that I knew the reason.

Again the scene with Rin played out in my mind. Again I felt the strong stir of emotions I had experienced at the time, when I had thought that Inuyasha was nervous about giving my sister a present. But this time I didn't curse myself or bury my head in shame, or avert my eyes. This time I could name the feeling.

Jealousy. And the word scared me to death, not because of its negative connotations, not because I thought I was selfish, but because of what it might mean.

There was only one reason that I could think of to explain why I might have been jealous.

Did I… did I…?

Do I…?

I couldn't get the words out of my mind, even though I knew that they were true.

When had this HAPPENED? Why had it crept up on me like this? Did these things always appear this way, with stealth, so that you only realize it once it's not only stared you in the face but socked you, too?

I groaned quietly to myself.

My eyes drifted to Inuyasha again. The more I thought about it, the more certain I was that Rin was not the one who had made Inuyasha nervous. So not only had I been _jealous, _but I'd been jealous over _nothing. _Freaking great. And thinking about this, wondering what it could mean, and having just the barest idea, I gently touched my new necklace.

I had never, ever owned something this beautiful. And now it might just save my life.

Turning the ward over in my hand, I wondered how Inuyasha had found this necklace. But my thoughts didn't stay there for long.

I found myself thinking about how he had said it looked beautiful on me. He meant that, I was sure. But did he… did he think that I was beautiful?

I groaned to myself. Stop it, Kagome. Calm down. Why should you care? What does it matter whether he thinks you're pretty?

But it _did _matter, and I knew why.

I like Inuyasha… and not just as friends.

Gazing into his face, I fell asleep wondering two things: whether he could ever feel the same way about me, and whether Tokyo had driven me absolutely, positively insane.

**A/N: So… Kagome has finally had the long-awaited epiphany, hmm? Did I do that well? I hope I did it well. Did it come on too suddenly? I guess not…? WELL TELL ME, GUYS! :) **

**Thank you all so much for the reviews for the last chapter! They were so encouraging, I loved them all! So here's to purduepup, Jennaha11 (special thanks to you, by the way—for pointing out those embarrassing mistakes!), beautiful-surreal, k and ai, Skittle Dog, LunaP, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, Daichilover, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, Tomatosoup inc., xXthenextbookwormXx, Darkness Revolution, Roses Kiss, booklover2thextreme, EmoKittenz, bear lover, MegamanSora, and Island Heart for knowing how to push that button and tell me their thoughts! :D Thank you all so much! And my apologies to anyone who I missed… it's possible I might have missed your review entirely. I've been getting TONS of messages in my email inbox lately (from which I control my fanfiction account XD)… literally. It seems like no matter how many messages I take care of, there's double the next day. THEY'RE MULTIPLYING! I CAN'T CONTROL THEM! **

**So if any of you have messaged me or posted a chapter and I haven't messaged back or reviewed or something, this is why. Don't worry, I'm working on it! **

**Now—lastly—REVIEW, PEOPLE! See you soon! Hopefully… but I'll update as soon as I can! :D **


	48. Examine Yourself

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Helloooo people! Do any of you think that you have never read a book longer than four hundred pages? Well, congrats. With this chapter, Lives Will Change has reached its 415****th**** anniversary since page one—font 12, Microsoft Word. You think that's long? Well, my stories ARE long. It's just the way it is! So I hope you don't mind that you're not even close to out of the woods yet :P.**

**Read and review! :D**

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT: EXAMINE YOURSELF

INUYASHA POV

Somebody—hell, _ANYBODY_—tell me: why did I have to end up having _feelings_ for a woman who put a kotodama on my neck?

I slammed the lid down on the toilet and sat heavily on it, kicking my feet up onto the sink. The lighting was dim—how I'd made it—but still light enough for me to have a good view of my new necklace in the mirror.

Damn it….

How the hell was I gonna explain this to my parents, to kids at school? Not like I care about any of those fuckers, anyway. They probably wouldn't think much of the necklace; they'd just look and say, "Oh, look, Inuyasha's joining the dog collar trend."

Trust me—dog collars are gonna go out of style real quick after I start wearing one.

But my parents would be a problem. They know that I'd drop dead before I'd start wearing a dog demon collar as a fashion accessory—in fact, I'd drop dead and make sure my body got _hid_ somewhereso nobody could put a dog collar on my CORPSE. Hell, what kind of a guy wears a necklace, anyway? It'd be degrading even on a fucking carcass.

I fingered the necklace between my claws and sighed.

As annoyed as this made me, and as much as I was dwelling on how pissed off I was, there were some other things that I had to think about, too.

Mostly revolving around Kagome.

For one thing, why wasn't she rubbing this in my face? Well, fine—she was rubbing it in my face. Somewhat. And I had a feeling she was enjoying this, too… but why wouldn't she go farther with it? Why hadn't she went through with her threat when she'd told me to call her by her name?

Why the hell couldn't I call her by her name?

I grimaced. I couldn't think of a single fucking thing to answer that with.

So cause I don't like dwelling on annoying questions that screw with my head, I moved on to the other question—why wasn't Kagome making me do other things? This was her perfect opportunity for revenge—she finally had an advantage—and she was just letting it slide. For now.

I had a feeling I hadn't seen the last of _SIT_, but I would've thought that she'd have enjoyed rubbing it in my face when it first got put on me.

Even if we were friends now… even if we were close… was that really enough for Kagome to give me a second chance when, for the first time, she didn't have to?

_"Well, I'm not you, Inuyasha."_

I leaned my head back against the wall. If our roles had been reversed—if _she _was the one with the kotodama and _I _was the controller—what the hell would I have done?

_"If it were me and the dog collar was on you, I'd be having the time of my life with it."_

I'd thought that was true, but whenever I thought of actuallysmashing Kagome into the ground, I recoiled.

I'm tough enough to handle it. But she's human, and it would hurt her.

That was too bad… if I could get a kotodama to put on _her_, it would definitely turn the tables. Not like I needed stupid sorcery like that to win against Kagome, anyway.

I grinned. She is Kagome, I am Inuyasha, and so I'll win in everything we do. Hell, it's written in our fucking DNA.

That's just how things are.

And that was why I had to find a way to overcome this kotodama thing as fast as I could. But seeing as I'd spent the last hour in the bathroom trying to break the necklace while the others slept, I was starting to think that for almost the first time in my life, physical force wasn't gonna do me any good.

I groaned, reminded myself that Sango probably wouldn't be too happy if I punched my fist through her bathroom wall, and punched it into my other hand instead.

I didn't need to give Sango an excuse to turn her Hiraikotsu on me—or Kagome an excuse to sit me.

**Inuyasha.**

Aw fuck.

I rolled my eyes, not willing to show him how it pissed me off that he'd shown up, and how desperate I was to find that little fuck of a voice and choke it to death. But cause I didn't want to give him that satisfaction, I just said irritably, _That's my name._

**Inuyasha.**

So now he was just gonna keep repeating me name until I cracked? That was all he could come up with? I wished I could say the jackass would have to work harder, but in my mood, I wasn't so sure if it was true.

_YEAH?_

**INUYASHA.**

_STOP SAYING MY NAME ALL DRAMATIC AND JUST TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK YOU WANT!_

Maybe the kotodama had caused me brain damage, cause for a split second, I thought I'd actually shut my demon up.

Then he talked again.

**YOU LET THE GIRL PUT A KOTODAMA ON YOU?**

I almost hissed in impatience. The way he said it, it sounded like she'd actually stood there, offered it to me, and I'd stood still and SMILED while Kagome PUT IT AROUND MY NECK. And hell, that was not what happened!

_It's not like I had a choice! I didn't know! And jeez, where the hell've you been all this time, anyway? That happened hours ago, asshole._

**The time does not matter. It HAPPENED. That is what matters.**

_Look, I'm pissed too, okay? So fuck off already! It's not like I LET her put it on me! You should've seen me fight. And besides, I'll find a way out of this even—_

**That's not the point! She is our potential MATE! **

Whoa. Didn't see that coming.

I blinked. _What the fuck are you talking about now?_

Apparently my demon hadn't even stopped talking, cause he kept on babbling. Something about, **You should be making her submit to you, not the other way around, **and **How will she respect you as her man when she can smash you into the floor by telling you to SIT, **and some other crap I didn't really give a damn about.

But then, thinking he might be bursting my eardrums and worrying that even though I was the only one who could hear him he might be waking up the others in the living room by his sheer fucking volume, I figured I'd better say something just to shut the guy up, if anything.

_Nobody is submitting to anybody, _I growled.

**Well, she should not have power over you! She should not—**

_Will you just shut up?_

**NO! Obviously, you need me if you let your future mate—**

_SHE IS NOT MY MATE!_

My breathing was coming heavy now, my entire chest heaving like a human's might after a race. But I'm a half demon. I don't pant after races, and hell, it takes a lot to make me pant after _fights_. Fuck—I shouldn't have been panting just after yelling my head off IN MY HEAD!

But for the next few moments, my head was eerily silent.

_Future mate… _what was he talking about? Future mate? Kagome? What the hell? It's not like I would ever… I didn't… not that way… I….

But I had feelings for her.

I stood roughly and opened the door, padding softly over to where I'd laid my sleeping bag so I woke nobody. Close your eyes, Inuyasha. Goddammit… just for a second… close your eyes and don't fucking think about ANYTHING. Just relax.

But it was impossible.

Hearing a slight sigh, I tilted my head downward to look at the sleeping girl beside me. Kagome breathed delicately, her hair splayed out around her head, her chest rising and falling every time she inhaled and exhaled, the necklace I had given her rising with it. I found myself watching that steady motion, listening to her even breaths, attuning myself to the rhythmic beating which is her heart.

Lying down beside her on the floor, my face just inches away from hers, I closed my eyes.

Kagome. Let me think her name.

Kagome. Let me say it in my head to my heart's content, even though I am afraid to speak it with my tongue.

Kagome. Let me say it over and over again, over and over again, for hours and hours… and let her hear me in her dream, let her know that really, truly, I am trying….

My fist tightened. Why would she care, anyway?

I looked at her face: her closed eyes, her small nose, her bangs strewn across her forehead. I watched her lips part as she sighed, and I watched her smile.

In her sleep, she touched her necklace; I couldn't help but grin.

She liked it, for sure.

Propping my head onto my hand, raising myself on one elbow, I watched Kagome hold the necklace to her. It really did look beautiful on her, I had to admit. Though it wasn't really like _it _made _her _more beautiful—instead, her natural beauty slipped into the stone, filling it with radiance.

Fuck. When did I start talking like some guy right out of a bad romance book?

I looked at the necklace again, looked at Kagome. She was so beautiful, and the stupid wench probably didn't even know it… I sighed. I'd never really understood women's obsession with jewelry. So there was a big metal thing with a rock at the end around your neck. Big deal. That was what I had always thought, and that was one of the thoughts going through my head as I bought the necklace for Kagome—what if she thought like I did? Kagome was independent in a way I almost never saw in girls. Hell, not even many grown women were free like she was. And Kagome wasn't a grown woman, but she wasn't a girl, either.

I would say, "young woman," but that would sound fucking stupid.

So I'll just say she's a woman?

I groaned to myself, wondering why it mattered. It was just a word; I could call her a goddamn koala if I wanted to, and she'd still be Kagome.

Though I had a feeling that seeing how she opposed _wench,_ she wouldn't be so thrilled about _koala_, either. At that, I smirked.

I looked at the necklace. I'd gotten it because it would protect her; hell, I could protect her fine, and I definitely wouldn't be letting down my guard, but a ward couldn't hurt. But it turned out she liked the necklace part of it, too.

Smirking a little, I wondered how she would react if she knew what it had cost. It was a good thing that she hadn't asked.

Sort of surprising, too.

I watched her, the smirk turning into a genuine smile, and a warmth spread through my body.My heart beat faster and my breathing came harder. The feelings were straining against my chest, trying to burst out into the world, and I fought to keep them back.

_Kagome… I wish I could tell you how I feel… I wish I could show you._

But maybe I couldn't fight hard enough, maybe I didn't _try _to fight hard enough, because of its own accord, my hand rose to stroke Kagome's cheek.

Where our skin touched, my skin tingled, and for a second… a split second… I wondered what it would be like to kiss her.

What it would feel like to press my lips to hers, to take her in my arms.

_Holy crud._

I turned away abruptly, resting my head back on the floor, staring at the ceiling. No more thinking, thinking was dangerous, and when I had to concentrate on protecting Kagome, I couldn't be facing other dangers, too….

My eyes closed.

Why not just tell her how you feel?

I grimaced, but I didn't have the energy to yell. _I just… I… what if she doesn't feel the same way? How _could _she feel the same way?_

And for that matter, what the hell _was _"the same way"? What did I feel? I knew I liked her, I knew I wanted to be more than friends, I knew I had feelings for her, but how strong did they run?

How strong were _her _feelings for _me? _

Whatever the answers to these questions, I had a feeling I would find out soon enough. Because the longer I laid next to her, bathed in her scent, attuned to her heartbeat, both of us breathing in unison, the more my feelings wanted to rip my body apart and take for the sky.

I couldn't hold them much longer, but sure as hell would I try.

**A/N: And Fin! I wanted to fill you in on what Inuyasha's been thinking these last few chapters. So, yeah, he's irritated about the kotodama—or as he says, he's pissed—but there are some other things which are stronger on his mind. Review and give me your thoughts?**

** Now, thank you to the people who reviewed the last chapter (I LOVED YOUR REVIEWS): LunaP, MegamanSora, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, beautiful-surreal, BGuate224, Tomatosoup inc., k ai, xXthenextbookwormXx, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, Bunnyz, Roses Kiss, Daichilover, arcticangel772, Island Heart, EmoKittenz, sesshomaruandrin1, hihi123, purduepup, and bear lover! Also, I'd like to apologize for not replying to your reviews. I know there are a lot of you who I generally reply to, and I really appreciated your reviews, but I didn't have time to reply. I've fallen behind in this story, and after the next chapter, I might take a little bit longer to write the one after. So, sorry! But you can be sure to get a reply this time :D.**

** Everyone, know that I value your reviews! I love reviews! They make my day, hearing what you guys have to say—and when I get a review that shows me you're thinking about the story, it feels awesome! ALL reviews feel awesome! Please, review! :D**


	49. Facing the Future

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's the chapter! Read and enjoy!**

.x.x.

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE: FACING THE FUTURE

On Saturday afternoon, Inuyasha and I had a tearful reunion with our child.

When we walked up the steps of my shrine and knocked on the door, I had a fleeting moment of utter panic. Sure, my mother was a mother, but it'd been years since Sota or I were a tiny balling infant—and I'm pretty sure we were never made of plastic. So, maybe dolls are even _more _of a pain than real babies…?

Sadly, I hope so, because if I am the one responsible for my mother's borderline insanity, that's going to haunt me for the rest of my life.

It seemed like it took years for someone to answer the door—I stood there on the steps, waiting, hoping she would come, for as we stood still, apprehension turned to fear and fear turned to terror and terror turned to hysteria… and realism gave way entirely to irrational (and really imaginative, if you ask me) nightmares.

What if it'd been too much for my mom to handle? What if our baby had _taken away the last remnants of her sanity?_

My mom can't afford to loosen her grip anymore than she already has, believe me… a baby might be enough to make her fall. What if in these last twenty-four hours, SHE WENT INSANE, RIPPED OFF THE BABY'S HEAD, AND IS NOW PREPARING TO KILL _ME _FOR REVENGE?

"Oi, wench, are you gonna open the door?"

Oh. Right. I have keys, don't I?

Crap.

Grumbling to myself and wondering whether it was _me _who couldn't afford to lose any pieces of her sanity, I dug my keys out of my bag and pushed them into the keyhole. This was the moment of truth. This was it. If while me and Inuyasha were hugging outside the movie theatre, my mother had been rampaging about the house with my baby's head in her mouth and its arms in her hands, I was about to find out now….

With trembling fingers, I pushed the door open. And my jaw dropped so low that I think it hit the ground and broke. My mother… she was… she was…!

She was sitting in the rocking chair, a sleeping baby doll comfortable in her arms.

"HOW?"

Mom held her finger to her lips, giving me what I was sure was a smirk. "Sssh. She's sleeping."

I blinked at that. "She? How do you know she's a she?"

Smiling a little, my mom said, "She has a girl's temperament. As long as she's happy, she's very gentle, usually. Cries when she needs to, but isn't too hard to quiet if you know how. And she has the most _adorable _eyes…!"

My mom went on and on about how she loved the "angel" in her arms. The more I listened, the more I was sure.

I've been replaced by a piece of plastic.

Inuyasha, Rin, Sango, and Miroku and I walked over to the chair in which Mom sat. Inuyasha glanced at the doll and said, "You realize its eyes are made of plastic, right? How the hell can they be adorable?"

We all turned to give him a stern look. Leave it to Inuyasha to break the mood.

My mom smiled. "I'm a mother. She may be a doll, but she's still a child, and you should treat her as such."

On that, she stood up and promptly offered the doll to Inuyasha.

"Hold her like this. Yes, that's right. Like that. Good."

I gawked, watching my mother position the doll in Inuyasha's arms, watching him grimace at her, watching him give her sidelong glances as if wondering whether she was off her rocker… and most shockingly of all, watching him _listen _to her.

Watching him take her advice and hold the doll like a real father.

Mom smiled, feeling accomplished, and then broke out into "aww"s and "that's so cute" and "You look just like a real dad now. Don't you think, Kagome?"

Whoa, whoa, whoa. I really hadn't needed to be included in there, Mom. Really.

"Uh… sure. I guess." After telling my blood cells to get the heck away from my face or else meet a painful end, I grinned. "Except for the fact that he's seventeen and doesn't have the maturity to even be that age, let alone be a dad, I guess you could say that…."

Inuyasha glared at me. "Keh. You shouldn't talk, wench."

I considered sitting him, but for one thing, that would be an abuse of my powers, and for another, I was pretty sure our baby wouldn't like falling to the ground that much.

Our baby. _She _wouldn't like falling to the ground that much.

I'll admit I'd never decided what gender the kid was. I sort of switched between genders, often calling her a he, but not in any definitive way. Just a filler… but my mother had decided so quickly. And now, looking at the doll in Inuyasha's arms, I had to admit that my mother was right.

About the baby _and _about him.

My eyes met his, and he looked right back at me, and then, suddenly, we both felt the urge to look away. Or at least I did; I can't say how or what he felt, but I did see him avert his gaze as I averted mine.

"Oh, Inuyasha, that's a nice necklace! Did someone get that for you for Givers—"

"KEH!"

Even I had to giggle a little at his reaction.

Over the next ten minutes, and after an intense interrogation about the "fun" we'd had, courtesy of my oh-so-loving mother, Sango and Miroku left. Inuyasha was the last one to go… sort of ironic, because I found myself almost _longing _for him to leave. But why? Why would I want to be rid of him?

It wasn't really that, I guess. It wasn't that I didn't want him by me or anything. I guess it was more that I needed time to think about my… epiphany.

Yeah. That.

Just the idea made me blush, and that was when I realized exactly why I wanted Inuyasha out of the house. I could barely _look _at the guy, for crying out loud! I'd spent almost the entire day avoiding his gaze, wishing he wouldn't tease me, wishing I wouldn't have to tease back… wishing someone, _anyone _would realize that I wanted to be left alone for awhile. To walk behind the group, to have silence, to just think and be safe in my mind….

Nobody had realized.

I needed to contemplate the consequences of my revelation. I needed to understand them and accept them. And finally, I needed to decide what to do about them.

But when Inuyasha was standing right next to me, holding our baby doll and for some reason seeming just as unwilling to look at me as I was to look at him, my mind was far too chaotic a place for reflections or decisions.

I closed my eyes for just a moment, breathed deeply, and relaxed.

Inuyasha would be gone in a few minutes. Then I could think.

As if on cue, Inuyasha said, "I should probably go now…." Trailing off, maybe not knowing what else to say, maybe not caring, he made his way to the door and kicked it open with his foot. But as he crossed the threshold, as he stepped beyond the doorway, Inuyasha turned back and looked at me.

"Oi, Kagome."

"Yeah?" I said as casually as I could, hating that I had to work to make my voice steady, hating that my heart was racing, fearing that he might even be able to hear it.

Inuyasha frowned at me, furrowed his eyebrows, and then relaxed them. He leaned against the door, elaborately casual, the baby still content in his arms. "We still have that family outing thing to do. I was thinking, maybe we could do that tomorrow…?"

_Do that tomorrow. _Not get it over with. Just do it.

And not in a _perverted _way, you MOOD-BREAKING MIROKUS!

For some reason, such a small thing as the words he chose made my heart soar.

This whole feelings thing is starting to make me feel sick.

I smiled. "Sure. Where do you think we should go?"

"Oh… I hadn't thought of that," he said, grinning. "Hell, wherever's good, I guess. I'll just come by with the baby, and… we'll decide then?"

As he spoke, his voice got a little quieter. His grin faded. I frowned at that, wondering why that was… wondering why I myself was smiling.

"That sounds good."

"Good! See you tomorrow, wench."

Inuyasha waved goodbye and shut the door almost hurriedly, before I could even respond. And to myself, in my mind, I added, _See you tomorrow, too… just you._

Just us.

I wasn't sure whether I was excited or scared.

When I emerged from the mess of confusion which is my brain, the first thing I noticed was Rin's expression. And my mom's expression. And the fact that they were _looking at each other with the same expression._

They were exchanging a glance. A SMUG glance.

And that only ever meant one thing.

Crap.

"Hey, uh, I have homework, uh, yeah, lots of tests… got to go… upstairs…."

Trailing off, giving them an unconvincing smile, I backed up the stairs, turned around, and sprinted to my room. By the time I had flung myself onto my bed, my heart was running the marathon.

Lub-_dub, _lub-_dub_, crap-_crud, _crap-_crud_….

I lay on my stomach, buried my head in a pillow, buried my fear and wonder and excitement as deeply as I could. Just for a moment, I buried it all; just for a moment, I locked it away so that I could close my eyes and live in peace; just for a moment, I reveled in life's simplicity.

But moments like that aren't meant to last, and living things aren't meant to be buried. So worrying that "my fear and wonder and excitement" might get rather _annoyed _if I left it underground any longer, I found a shovel and dug it up.

Yeah… that was supposed to be a metaphor….

Heck, I'll never be a writer.

I flipped myself over on my back and stared at the ceiling, wondering how to phrase my feelings into words… and then I came up with one. Three words, six syllables, and a simple sentence which I had never in my _life _expected to utter.

"I like Inuyasha."

Inhale. Exhale. Don't die.

"I like Inuyasha Takahashi."

Four words. Ten syllables. Inhale. Exhale.

This isn't worth dying over, Kagome. Inhale. Exhale.

"I like him."

Three words. Three syllables.

And I knew there were many more different ways to say it, but there was no point in listing them all. When it came right down to it, they were all just different ways of saying the same thing.

The words, the syllables… it didn't matter.

What mattered was me. What mattered was Inuyasha. What mattered was what I felt when he hugged me, when he teased me, when I touched his gift which hung around my neck.

What mattered were my feelings. And no one could understand them better than I could.

"Kagome?"

Well… except maybe Rin.

Smiling to myself, sighing very slightly, I raised my voice. "Yeah?"

Rin took that as permission to enter; which was good, because it was.

The door opened, and Rin slipped into the room, walked over to the bed, and sat cross legged in front of me. For a moment I didn't move, and she didn't speak. We remained motionless, her sitting cross-legged like a fifth grader in a class room, me on my stomach with my head almost pressed into her foot. That wasn't a great position, so, after a moment, I got to my knees and faced Rin.

Rin was smiling.

"What are you smiling at?" I asked, smiling back, trying to breathe evenly. Trying to make it seem like there was nothing wrong, like I wasn't drowning in total turmoil, like I wasn't fighting for air in a stormy sea with waves crashing over my head. As I smiled back at her, I tried to make it seem like instead, I was ridingthat sea on a sturdy boat, cruising with the waves and basking in the spray.

Maybe she bought it, cause she jumped to her feet. "Nothing," she said brightly. "This was just a fun day, that's all."

I nodded, not quite sure why I felt uneasy. Something about her made me unsettled… maybe it was her ease, her grace, her nonchalance?

"Don't you think it was fun?"

Grinning a little, I said, "No, Rin, I'm absolutely miserable. I hate this. I wish I was dead."

She laughed effortlessly, and for a moment I envied her. Sometimes it seems like everything is so uncomplicated to Rin. Maybe it comes from her intuition, maybe from her kindness and pure heart, but somehow, to Rin, everything _is _black and white. It's like she's never had to make a hard decision in her life. But it's different than naivety, than ignorance… I'm not trying to say she's innocent or anything. She knows what life is like, she knows that it has ups and downs. But she rides it with no effort, with no board or boat. She gets into that rough sea and she swims, and never loses her breath.

Sometimes I just feel like I'm drowning… and maybe right now I am, but even so, I feel more exhilarated than I've felt in a long time.

Or maybe that was just adrenaline in the face of death?

Okay… maybe I'm exaggerating a little.

Rin laughed again, and I turned my attention back to her. "You seem different," she said, almost curious. "Do you feel okay?"

Feverish? Delirious? Excited? Exhilarated? Terrified?

"Yeah, I'm fine."

I don't know why I lied. Lying to Rin is as pointless as lying to yourself, so I'm not sure why I even tried. But now that I think about it, people lie to themselves all the time. It's futile, it's pointless, it's painful, but still, they do it.

I've definitely done that before….

Rin frowned at me. "You seem different, though," she pressed. "You seem… I don't know…."

Quirking my head, curious now, I asked, "What?"

Rin grinned. "Well, for one thing, you're not giving off as many I-Hate-Tokyo vibes as usual."

That surprised me. Both the fact that that was what she had been noticing, and the fact that it was true. Now that I thought about it, I _hadn't _been dwelling so much on that… not for the past few days. And even though I hadn't been thinking so much about the change, it _was _a change. A change I hadn't even noticed! And if that had been going on for so long without me ever realizing… what else could have been changing that I hadn't realized until recently?

I knew the answer to that one.

"I guess that's true," I admitted, laughing. "You know… I've been thinking… I don't really mind Tokyo so much."

Rin raised her eyebrows.

"NOT THAT I LIKE IT OR ANYTHING!" I shouted. Blushing, I said, considerably quieter, "I just don't _mind _it anymore."

After Rin had stopped laughing, she grinned. "I'm happy."

To my surprise, I was, too.

We sat back on the bed, facing each other, more relaxed than we had been before. I fingered my necklace absent-mindedly. Noticing, Rin said, "That really is a beautiful necklace. And a ward, too… it's so nice of him."

I nodded, smiling to myself. "Yeah…." A slight pink painted my cheeks. "It was nice. Really nice." Shaking my head a little, I murmured, "Did I even say thank you?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

I was sure I'd thanked him, but for some reason I felt that it wasn't enough. I wanted him to know how much I loved the gift, how much it meant to me… and yet there were no words I could think of to say.

"Kagome? You okay?"

I blushed harder.

Rin frowned at me, but the frown didn't last long. And then a grin crept up on her face. It spread like a virus, starting at the corners of her mouth, widening across her face until her grin was broad and far too knowing for my ease.

"Hey… Kagome…."

I couldn't take it anymore; trying to keep things from Rin is pointless, anyway. She's like my other half, my best friend, my sister. And I'd learned what it was like to keep secrets from yourself.

Confusing, annoying, and a lot more trouble than just being honest.

"OKAY! FINE! I ADMIT IT! I… I… I…."

I choked.

Rin leaned forward anxiously. "Kagome, are you okay? What do you admit? What do you mean? Are you choking?"

Fearing my mother would hear and rush to my aid from downstairs (and this was NOT something I needed to be explaining to her), I shook my head fiercely. "No. No. I'm not choking."

Rin sat back a little, waiting.

"Rin," I announced, "I have something to tell you."

No kidding.

The grin returned to her face, and I couldn't hold it in any longer. It was banging against my chest, it was ricocheting between my ribs, and I had a feeling if I didn't let it out soon, it might end up piercing my lungs.

And this just isn't the kind of thing that's worth dying for.

So I jumped off the bed, stood straight and tall, squared my shoulders, and… paced. And paced. And paced. And paced.

When I couldn't take Rin's dubious, smug staring for another freaking second, I exploded.

"OKAY! I LIKE INUYASHA! NOW STOP STARING AT ME!"

There was a pause after the words had flooded out of me, flooded like an ocean, like a rushing river. There was a pause as they metaphorically drowned sidewalks and streets and houses and people. There was silence as they engulfed the entire planet in a deep ocean.

That is, until Rin broke it.

Her smug grin was so warm that the flood of feelings steamed away, leaving just the words. Just my voice, echoing in the air and in our minds.

_OKAY! I LIKE INUYASHA! NOW STOP STARING AT ME!_

Now that was what I call a confession.

"See, now is that so hard to say?" Rin asked, rolling her eyes, still grinning.

Let's see… was it so hard to say? Well, if your tongue searing with fire and your mouth filling with acrid-smelling acid counted as _hard to say…_.

"I guess not," I said meekly.

I like Inuyasha. I like Inuyasha. I like Inuyasha.

Admitting it to myself had been one thing. Saying it outloudwas an entirely different story. And there was only one thing I could think of to say on the subject.

Holy freaking crap.

"I like Inuyasha," I muttered to myself, breath coming short. Dizziness overwhelmed me, and feeling like the world was going to fall away beneath my feet, I sat heavily on my bed.

Which, when you think about it, wouldn't help much if the world caved in.

"I like Inuyasha. I like Inuyasha." I closed my eyes. "I like Inuyasha. I like Inuyasha."

Once, those words might have been a sign of the apocalypse. Once, those words might have been a sign of the apocalypse of my _sanity. _But now… knowing what I knew, learning what I had… I've recognized that life itself can seem apocalyptic at times.

Doesn't necessarily have to be the end of the world. Just the end of one thing and the beginning of another. Lives are bound to change. And though new things are perfectly normal, thinking of things so logically hardly made me any calmer.

And it's not really my style, so what the hell? It's panicking time.

"Holy crap, Rin!" I gasped.

Rin, obviously not sensing the impending demise of life as we know it which I could feel pressing down on me from every angle, laughed. I grimaced. Maybe I was wrong about Rin. Maybe she wasn't as intuitive as I'd always thought.

Maybe she was just stupid.

"It's okay," she said, smiling. "It's okay. Come on. Let it all out."

She sat down beside me, rubbing my shoulder in comfort, like I was a distraught little kid who just got pushed off the slide at a playground. Like she was my mother.

I sighed. Sometimes, without Rin, I'm completely useless.

Leaning my head on her shoulder while she put her arms around me, I groaned. "I'm so stupid. I'm so stupid. I'm so helpless. I'm so helpless. I'm so—"

"You know," Rin interrupted, voice infuriatingly chirpy, "If you're just going to spend the next hour insulting yourself, you might want to say each one once, instead of twice. It'll take less time."

I inclined my head to give her a glare of death. But rather than cowering like any sane person should, Rin laughed. Then again, Rin's hardly sane.

Not like I'm one to talk.

But despite myself, I smiled. "Okay," I said wryly. "I won't waste any more of your time than I need to."

Rin frowned at me, saying earnestly, "No time talking to you is wasted. Just say what you need to say. I'm only teasing."

"You take things too seriously, Rin!" I admonished, giggling to myself. "I was teasing, too."

Rin flushed, grinning bashfully. "Oh. Sorry."

Feeling a little stronger and less like I needed to spend the next hour moaning into Rin's shoulder, I sat up. She took her arm off of my shoulders, placing it instead in her lap. For a moment we were just silent, just sisters, enjoying each other's company, seeking comfort without words. Well, _I _was seeking comfort. Not Rin.

But at that I had to frown. When you got right down to it… _was _I seeking comfort? Was that really what I wanted? What did I want to be comforted about?

Grimacing, I said, "I'm just so confused. That's all."

Rin smiled at me. "That's to be expected."

I gaped at her.

Giggling, Rin proceeded to explain her logic. "Well, you spent the first week you knew him despising him and praying to the gods that he would have some tragic accident and die, right?"

"Well… not necessarily _die_…."

A stern look from Rin told me to hold my peace—or, more accurately and less politely put, to shut up. She continued, "And then, you spent the second week just trying to get used to the idea that you were friends. That he was _nice _to you. That he _cared _about you. And now… well, this is just a new stage, right? So you must be really disoriented."

Rin, for one, definitely didn't seem disoriented.

Narrowing my eyes, I voiced my suspicions. "You don't seem too surprised."

"Well, of course not!" Rin said brightly. "I've known for ages that this would happen."

For ages. For AGES.

"I haven't even known him for so long!" I protested, blushing furiously. "Besides, you make it sound like I'm in love with him or something. It's not _love_."

_Not yet, _a small voice inside me added.

Maybe I was just borrowing Rin's conscience, cause guess what the next words out of her mouth were?

I groaned.

"Kidding, kidding!" Rin giggled. "Well, not completely," she corrected. "But still, of course it's not love. I've told you a thousand times—love takes time. Love _builds_. Love—"

"Is gonna be the topic for your Senior Thesis," I grumbled.

Rin groaned. "Don't talk to me about that, please—just thinking about that monstrous essay makes me feel nauseous."

Snickering, I couldn't help but say, "Don't worry, Rin. If you're still as much of a die-hard romantic in a few years as you are now, you won't have any trouble."

Rin glared half-heartedly at me, trying not to smile.

"We were talking about _you _and _your _love life, though," she reminded me, a smirk creeping upon her face. "So, back to that. Now that you've finally had your epiphany—which made my day, by the way—what are you going to do about it?"

I stared blankly at her.

Hadn't thought of that. Much.

"Um… I don't know," I said hesitantly. "I mean, there's not much I can do, right?"

_There's not much I can do…._

My eyes softened, but not in a tender way; in a sad way. Turning my gaze down to my hands, mangling each other in my lap, I said with uncharacteristic softness, "It's not like he feels the same way about me."

When I said it so straight forward, when I actually came out and spoke the words, put the feeling _into _words, I knew that I was right. Inuyasha liked me as a friend, he cared about my well being, about my happiness, but… I didn't mean anything more to him than that.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Rin said, giving me a small smile.

"Look, Rin, I know you have this vision that everybody falls in love and is happy and gets together and has perfect relationships and gets married to the first person they go out with, but that's not the way the world works." I grimaced. "I like Inuyasha, but… there's no way he likes me as anything more than a friend."

Unrequited… liking?

Heck, it sounded stupid like that. But then what made it sound right as "unrequited love"? Why should it sound awkward, clumsy, to say _liking? _There _was _such a thing as plain old _liking_, right? So why wasn't there a word for it that didn't sound completely stupid?

But clumsy or not, stupid or not, awkward or not, even such words as unrequited liking made me feel sad. And when I stumbled upon the phrase unrequited _feelings_, which was considerably more eloquent than _liking _and not so common as unrequited _love_, I almost felt like crying.

Hormones, people. It should be a swear word.

"You don't have to be sad," Rin said, punching my arm playfully. "He definitely likes you back. It's clear as day. If anything, he might've figured it out before you did."

"I wish I could have your optimism," I said wistfully.

It seemed like all I could do was wish lately. Wish that I had realized I'd liked Inuyasha two weeks ago instead of now, wish that I'd _started _liking Inuyasha two weeks ago, wish that we had never hated each other, wish that he felt the same way about me as I did about him….

Too much wishing. I wanted to puke.

"Whatever!" I said, smiling, trying to sound bright and happy. This wasn't the time to mope. I'd promised myself, I'd _promised _myself, that I would never allow a guy to mess me up. To interfere with my life. So what if I liked Inuyasha? Life would go on. Life would go on as it had before… just perhaps on a slightly different course.

"It doesn't matter, anyway," I said, the words more heartfelt than before. "I guess I'll do my best, and what happens happens. He's a guy. Just a guy."

"He's your friend," Rin reminded me.

I felt my eyelids closing, I felt my body stiffening—and then I felt myself becoming increasingly relaxed. _Sagging._

"I know," I muttered. "That's what makes it even worse."

Being Rin, she probably sensed that I couldn't handle the topic for a single minute more. That was probably why she changed the topic effortlessly, why for the next hour we talked about the movie and the sleepover and Tokyo and a ton of other things which seemed meaningless compared to the nagging concerns which pushed at my consciousness from the brink of my mind. But for that hour while Rin was with me, I forgot all about those concerns. For that hour, I was at peace.

It was when she left that I felt, almost, afraid. It was when she left that I was alone with my feelings, alone with my thoughts, alone with my questions….

Alone with the future, and the uncertainty of it unnerved me.

.x.x.

**A/N: And there you go! So, Kagome is finally starting to confront her feelings, huh? Very, very reluctantly…. I hope you liked this chapter, please review and tell me! Thank you to all the people who left amazing reviews on the last chapter: Roses Kiss, Bunnyz, BGuate224, LunaP, Neon Rain Cloud, purduepup, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, xXthenextbookwormXx, Wings Dipped in Silver, Daichilover, Island Heart, k, ai, MegamanSora, iheartinuyasha, beautiful-surreal, bear lover, Maiden of the Silver Fires, mayalewis16, EmoKittenz, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, Tomatosoup Inc., and carinaxox! **

** Also, if you guys didn't notice, I've published a new story, called By Candlelight. As it is, it probably won't be updated as regularly as LWC, cause I need to be in a certain mood to write for it. However, things can change, so you never know! But I'd really appreciate it if you guys would read and review it! You don't have to, but still, I'd like that :D. But I'll warn you, it's very different than LWC in tone—darker, with some more intense themes. Still T, though. **

** So, read and review, guys! :D **


	50. Pros and Cons of Driving With Inuyasha

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS I GOT! And for those of you who reviewed By Candlelight, thank you so much, too! :D (But don't worry, you WILL be getting mentions after the next chapter of BC… but I wanted to let you know ahead of time that you were much appreciated ;D)**

**Wow... chapter fifty... sounds so big, right? But you know what sounds bigger? 541 reviews. You guys ROCK :D. Keep it up!**

**Enjoy! Read and review! :D**

.x.x.

CHAPTER FIFTY: PROS AND CONS OF DRIVING WITH INUYASHA

I had thought I would have a whole day to think things through. I had thought I would have a whole day to ponder my newly discovered feelings, to decide how to approach them, and to compose myself before facing Inuyasha on Monday morning.

I hadn't thought that I would be brought to the door at noon and dragged away from my homework by the sound of a doorbell rung by—guess who?

If you guessed Inuyasha Takahashi, you'd be right.

Sigh.

I grimaced at him. "What are you doing here?"

Predictably, Inuyasha grinned his trademark grin. "You don't look too happy to see me," he commented. "Any reason?"

"Any reason I _should _be happy to see you?" I retorted, clever as usual.

Do you know what _subtext _is? Well, if you've ever taken an acting lesson in your life, you know. Don't get me wrong—I've never taken an acting lesson in my life, either. For one thing, we could never afford it, for another, from what you know about me, would you really think I can _act? _Yeah, I couldn't act to save my butt. But anyway, back to subtext. Essentially, subtext is the stuff you don't say but really mean.

For instance, awhile ago, what I just said up there would've meant, _There's no reason I should be happy to see you because I hate you and I hope you die._

Now, however, it means, _There's no reason I should be happy to see you because I like you and I want to be more than friends and hope that _I _die so I don't have to deal with these stressful feelings anymore._

Subtext, people. It's a powerful thing.

Maybe Inuyasha couldn't see what was going through my head at the time, or maybe he _could _and thought that my insanity is funny, cause he started laughing.

"Come on, wench. Let's go."

He grabbed my arm and pulled me off of the porch, me struggling the entire way. Suddenly seeing a glimmer of hope, I turned around to plead to my last resort—Rin.

Rin smiled evilly, waved cheerily, and chirped, "Have fun!"

That girl is going to die some day. And sooner than you might think.

"So… where are we going?" I asked, the front door having closed before I could plot Rin's demise.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "The _family outing_. We talked about it yesterday."

I stared at him blankly until Inuyasha blinked and said, confused, "Are you saying you don't even remember?"

After a moment of thought, I realized that in actuality, I _did _remember.

"Oh… that…."

Right. That.

Crap.

We stepped in front of Inuyasha's car, and several alarms immediately went off in my chaotic head.

1: OH MY GOD IT'S AN EXPENSIVE HUNK OF 100,000 DOLLAR TOKYO METAL.

2: OH MY GOD I'M GOING TO HAVE TO RIDE IN IT.

3: OH MY GOD _INUYASHA'S DRIVING! F***********!_

So, yeah. The first two may have preceded the third, but the third definitely out screamed the others.

"Hey, you okay?"

Interrupted from my mental monologue of swear words by a skeptical and (though he tried to hide it) concerned Inuyasha, I grinned at him and said, "Physically, yeah. I'm just envisioning my death, twisted around two cars, at the hands of a terrible, reckless driver, my guts splattered out across the windshield…."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Hey, I'm not _that _bad!"

Yeah. Not _that _bad.

There was a moment of silence where we just stood in front of his shiny sports car—where I was dwelling on how these might be the last moments of my life, and saying my last goodbyes (which I seem to do a lot), and trying to decide whether to fess up my feelings to Inuyasha before I died. As for him… I have no idea why Inuyasha, for the first time in awhile, was absolutely quiet. But from his grimace and where he was looking, it seemed to be something about the passenger side door.

Grumbling to himself, Inuyasha made a show of walking right past the door, getting one of his claws stuck on the handle, and pulling the passenger side door open accidentally without even noticing.

Weird? I think so.

By the time I'd collected my wits, Inuyasha was sitting in the driver's seat, smirking at me. "You getting in or not?"

"I don't know… 'not' sounds pretty good right now…."

Growling, Inuyasha reached over—he has _long _arms—and grabbed me by the wrist, pulling me into the passenger seat. I didn't miss the way I almost blushed when he touched me, nor did I miss the way my mind fought to suppress the blush.

I just hoped Inuyasha missed both.

Inuyasha started driving, one hand on the steering wheel, leaning back against the seat, looking very relaxed. But to me, something seemed… out of place. No, not out of place, just… different? Odd?

When I noticed the pressure on my wrist, I knew.

Okay. Inuyasha had yet to let go of my wrist. And _now _I was blushing. It wasn't that I minded… actually, I didn't mind at all. It was such a nice gesture, a kind gesture… almost a gesture of comfort. And as unlikely as it seemed, Inuyasha had become a source of comfort to me. Having my wrist enclosed in his hand made me feel reassured; like even if we crashed, everything would be all right. I felt protected.

Not like I would ever admit that.

But still… what to do? Did Inuyasha notice? Was he doing this on purpose, to comfort me? Or did he not know… no, he probably didn't know. That thought made me a little sad, because I knew he would never hold my hand (or wrist), if he knew what he was doing. But it was the truth, and I had to face it.

But then should I let him notice?

Maybe I could slip my hand out of his before he even realized. But what if he noticed? Then it would be awkward, but it would be more awkward if I just let my hand stay there… right?

I was feeling nauseous just thinking about it.

"Oi, wench. You carsick or something?"

He may be stupid, but he's very observant. Uncannily so.

I grimaced at that, shifting in my seat, running through my options. What to do, what to do… in the end I threw all my planning out the car window—which wasn't very difficult because it was one of those fancy ones where people leave the top down to shout to the world, "Hey, look, I'm a rich brat who likes blasting music obnoxiously into the city. Admire my biceps as I tense them on the steering wheel."

Harsh? Perhaps. Deserved? Absolutely.

But then I remembered that despite all my criticism of _Inuyasha_, it was me who was stuck with my only explanation lying dead on the street, metaphorical blood pooling around its metaphorical body.

Causing a metaphorical car crash.

"Uh… Inuyasha…." I trailed off, wondering why _I _had to explain myself in the first place. Wasn't it _he _who had grabbed me and pulled me into the car? Wasn't it _he _who hadn't relinquished his grip? Wasn't it _he _who left his hand on mine, not letting go?

So why was _I _the one who was embarrassed?

Oh. Cause I like him, cause I don't want to hurt his feelings, and cause I'm a freaking idiot. I forgot.

"Inuyasha… uh… your hand…."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, obviously misinterpreting my stammering and thinking that I meant the hand on the _steering wheel_. "Wench, I've been driving for five years."

Not going to question that. Just… no. I don't care. Why should I care? Why would I even bother to respond to that? Stuff like that just doesn't surprise me anymore, coming from Inuyasha.

But, of course, I couldn't help but respond.

"Five years?" I snickered, grinning. "Either you need to work on your math, or you're really overdue for a trip to the police station."

Inuyasha growled at me, and I couldn't help but laugh.

Maybe it was my forward motion which alerted him—maybe it was the twitch of my left hand as I laughed that reminded him what he was holding in his right. But either way, suddenly, he knew.

"Uh… right. That's sort of what I was trying to tell you about before… your… _other _hand…."

Inuyasha reddened.

"K-keh!" He thrust my hand away roughly, grabbing the steering wheel, staring straight ahead. Not only that—his hair fell forward to hide his face, so that I couldn't even _see _him. Like it wasn't enough that he'd pushed me away, he also wanted to prevent me from seeing his _face. _Jerk.

"K-keh!" He repeated.

"Keh?"

"Keh," he said determinedly. "I… uh… it was an accident!"

"An accident."

"Right. Wench."

That was the moment when the baby in my arms started to bawl.

"Not in the car, not in the car," I pleaded. "Inuyasha has enough trouble concentrating as it is…."

"Oi!"

"Shut up and keep your eyes on the road!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes—thereby taking them OFF OF THE ROAD.

"THE ROAD!"

I probably should have seen it coming—I probably should have known what he was going to do. Being Inuyasha, how could he resist, when my squeal gave him the perfect opportunity to do what he loved most?

Which is annoy the hell out of me.

Inuyasha, very deliberately, took both hands off of the steering wheel and replaced them with his feet, folding his arms behind his head and turning to grin cockily at me.

That was all it took to send my mind into overdrive, and in this state of overdrive, there was only one word I could think—one word which repeated itself over and over and over again, like a broken record with the _F _word on it.

And no, not _frack_.

"Hey… are you okay…? Oi… wench… you having an attack or something?"

"Yes," I squeezed through my teeth. "A _panic _attack, caused by a _cocky moron._"

Inuyasha grinned.

"GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER!" I shouted, probably a bit more loudly than I would have normally—as in, than I would have in a _normal _circumstance, with a _normal _driver, at a _normal _speed, if I were a person with _normal _sanity. Grumbling a little, I teased, "I knew you were a jerk, but I didn't think you were a Miroku, too."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Not usually. I guess I'm just more comfortable around you."

_Not usually. I guess I'm just more comfortable around you._

His words were enough to make me stop, stare, and say blankly, "What?"

There was a beat where Inuyasha didn't react, where his face denied his ever speaking. But then, in the next beat, he grinned and said something very different from what I'd thought he said.

"Not usually. But then again, I didn't say anything. _You're _the one who jumped to conclusions. Who's the Miroku now?"

Oh my god. He was right.

While I began to spiral down the endless depths of insanity, completely forgetting about what I had _thought _Inuyasha had said and instead focusing on what I had just realized about myself and the conclusions to which I sometimes jump, Inuyasha continued to drive the car with his feet. And in the end, it was this, Inuyasha's carelessness and feet-driving antics, which saved me from losing my sanity.

I snapped out of my panic as soon as it hit me: if Inuyasha was driving the car with his _feet, HOW WAS HE HITTING THE PEDALS?_

"If you don't get up and take the steering wheel _right now_, I will S-I-T you into the seventeenth hell," I growled, voice deadly.

The threat seemed to unnerve Inuyasha for a moment. Recovering himself, he threw an uneasy, wary grin my way. "You can't. I'm driving."

When I said my next words, my eyes turned to ice. When I said my next words, my voice turned to frozen, liquid nitroglycerin. When I said my next words, I became Ice Kagome.

"Try me."

Inuyasha bolted upright and took the wheel with both hands.

I smirked.

.x.x.

**A/N: Sorry this was short! But I needed to make it short to update this soon. Thank you so much to Roses Kiss, k and ai, beautiful-surreal, LunaP, Tomatosoup Inc., purduepup, bear lover, Wings Dipped in Silver, InuLuver22199, ai (again), Island Heart, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, Daichilover, and xXthenextbookwormXx for reviewing! I loved your reviews! Please keep it up, and those of you who haven't reviewed, JOIN THEM! :D**

**Also, I would like to tell you some news: **

**The next two chapters will be Rin/Sess.**

**I know, great, right? I know some of you have been dying for more Rin/Sess, so I figured I'd let you know :P. As for those of you whose favorite couple, like me, is Inuyasha and Kagome, well, don't worry, it'll be back to them soon enough! :D**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH! REVIEWWWWWWWWWWWWW! ^_^ **


	51. Strangers On the Street

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry this took so long; I've been busy. The next chapter should be up a lot sooner. Read and review!**

.x.x.

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE: STRANGERS ON THE STREET

Rin sat in her bedroom, idly twirling a pen between her fingers. Or maybe it was a pencil, or a crayon, or a stick… she hadn't been paying attention, in any case.

She couldn't even remember picking it up.

_What was I doing? _Rin thought abstractedly, staring out the window. She knew that there had been _something _she was doing before she had departed for dreamland. Something which she had to do, something she had to finish… something more important than staring wistfully out her bedroom window, dwelling on how pitiful her social life was.

_Think, Rin, think._

When Rin's eyes alighted on her untouched math homework, she wished she hadn't remembered.

The first problem was a simple one, but she knew that the rest would only become more difficult. Rin wasn't disappointed; by the time her pencil had moved to problem seven, her eyes had glazed over and her head had begun to bob.

Of their own accord, her eyes fixed themselves again on the window.

_It's a window, _Rin told herself. _Nothing exciting, nothing unusual. Just a window. So why do I keep staring at it?_

There was no answer, but she continued to stare at the window, for she couldn't seem to take her eyes off of it. _Maybe it's a symbol, _she thought glumly, watching a few children play on the sidewalk. _Maybe it's a symbol for what every other girl in the world has, but I don't._

_ A life independent of her bedroom and her sister's friends._

Rin groaned and threw her head in her hands, peeking at the window from beneath her fingers, just in time to catch sight of a couple walking down the street, hand in hand.

Under her breath, Rin muttered, "Is the universe trying to torture me? Did I do something wrong?"

Because Rin had nothing better to do, she might have actually begun to think of possible answers for that question. She might even have went so far as to fantasize of things she had done wrong to merit such a punishment from the universe. But fortunately for Rin, she didn't have the time.

"Rin! Someone's on the phone for you."

Rin was out of the chair and at the door in an instant.

"Who?" she asked in surprise, pulling the door open to reveal her mother standing with the home phone in one hand.

_Who would call me at the house phone? _She thought, taking the phone from her mother. _I use email to talk to Ayumi and Eri, and if Sango or the others wanted to talk to me, they'd use my cell… but then…?_

In the next instant, Rin's mother spoke a few simple words which sent Rin's heart reeling.

"I didn't recognize the voice. Somebody named… Sesshomaru? Do you know him? Rin? Are you okay?"

Rin nodded faintly, smiled, and forced herself to say, "I'm fine. Thanks, Mom."

Her mother closed the door behind her as she left Rin to herself, but Rin was too preoccupied to notice her mother's knowing smirk.

Clutching the phone as if it were something precious, wondering why in the world he would be calling her, Rin held the phone up to her ear and said, "Hello? Sesshomaru?"

Once a person answers the phone, there is usually that split-second's time where no one speaks. Where the answerer waits, and the caller opens his mouth to reply, and a short silence elapses between them. It is a normal part of a phone call, and usually passes unnoticed by both sides. But Rin noticed it, and for the entire duration of that split-second, her heart was hammering and her mind was racing. For that split second, she was certain that her mother had been wrong.

But then came his voice, clear and deep and slow and mysterious.

_Like the ocean, _Rin thought vaguely, mesmerized by the tones of his voice. _Dark and unreadable and rhythmic and melodious._

Smiling slightly to herself, Rin wondered what drove her to think things like that; to think about that at all. But as she thought, and as she thought, her smile deepened, for she realized that it didn't matter.

_I'm just different from other people._

Then she heard what Sesshomaru said, and she stopped thinking about the odd eloquence of her thoughts. She stopped thinking about how apart she was from many others. She even stopped thinking about Sesshomaru's wondrous voice.

All she could think about was what he said.

"Rin. Do you want to begin the project today?"

Rin blinked.

_Project… project… _Her eyes snapped open as she remembered. Of course. The project. The chemistry project which they had been assigned… the chemistry project for which they were partners….

_Of course, _Rin thought sadly. _It's just the project. Right._

"Rin?"

_He said my name, _she thought. _I should reply. Even if it's just because of the project, we _do _need to work on it…._

Rin's thoughts came to a standstill. And for a moment, she concentrated too hard, thought too many things to put it into words.

When she emerged from her sea of thoughts, it was with confidence.

_No, _she thought. _I'm wrong. He _does _care about me, in some way, at least. Don't short change yourself, Rin. If he didn't like you, why would he have picked you to be his partner?_

And with that thought, Rin straightened her shoulders, forgetting that there was no one there to see, and said, smiling, "Yeah, I can work on the project. Where do you want to meet?"

His voice was as unreadable as ever as he replied, "If you want, you can come to my apartment. I have a laboratory, and we might be able to make some progress. If not, I will meet you at the library."

Rin froze, deep in thought. Why would he ask her if she wanted to come to his apartment? Why would he give her the option not to? Why did he ask it as if he thought she would rather go to the library?

_In the library, we won't be able to talk to each other, _Rin thought, frowning. _And we need to… both because I want to, and because we still need to decide what to do for our project. So his apartment would be much better. Obviously he knows that. So why…?_

Rin trailed off as a new idea entered her head, and she blushed.

_Oh. I get it now._

"Your apartment's fine," she said hesitantly. Worrying that she sounded forward, worrying that he might think poorly of her, worrying a thousand things for virtually no reason, Rin added hastily, "If that's okay with you."

_Stupid. You sound so stupid when you talk._

Rin slapped her forehead, glad that Sesshomaru could not see her face. It was a good thing that he chose to respond quickly, too; for if he had waited longer, Rin might have slipped back into her insecurities and fears.

But before self torment could submerge her, Sesshomaru said, "It's okay," and promptly gave her the address of his apartment.

A brief pause elapsed; too brief a pause for Rin to overcome her shock and relief, too brief for her to say goodbye. And then, before she could say anything, before she could utter a simple, "Great," there was a _click _and the line went dead.

"He hung up," Rin said blankly.

Still a little numb, she did the same, grimacing and thinking, _Why does he have to be so confusing? Why do I have to care?_

She knew why she cared. She just wished that it could be different, for she knew that her hopes were hopeless. _He hates humans, _she thought. _Why would he make an exception for me?_

But as she jumped down the stairs, as she said good-bye to her mother and opened the door and stepped into the heat, as she shut and locked it behind her, she argued back, _They're wrong. He doesn't hate humans. I know better than to believe in rumors._

This thought reassured her enough to walk with a skip in her step and think in disbelief, _I still can't believe he just hung up on me._

But then she laughed, realizing that she _could _believe it.

And she laughed and laughed until tears came to her eyes, until her chest heaved. She laughed over nothing, and she laughed over everything, for at that moment, a great realization came over her; the realization that no matter what his feelings, no matter the truth, _her _feelings, and her hopes, and her fantasies, would remain the same.

_I want us to be friends; I want him to open up to me. And I think, in time, he will._

Rin had the nagging feeling that she would be his first ever real friend, and this thought made her both sad and excited at the same time. But as she continued walking down the street, excitement overcame sadness, and she grinned broadly, laughing again.

That is, until she realized she had no idea how to get to his apartment.

Rin froze.

It was slow, the realization which slowly crept up on her. Slow like a droplet of water, condensing on a cold glass and sliding down its face. Slowly, slowly, until it reaches the bottom and spreads along the floor. Slow like ice, slow like snow, slow like death. Slowly, slowly, until you are in the clutches of hypothermia, until you are numb to the neck. Until by the time you realize what has happened, it is far too late to turn back.

This was how Rin felt when she realized that she had no idea where she was.

_Oh no._

When had familiar houses become imposing buildings? When did warm, sunny sidewalks morph into long, empty streets? Was it just Rin, or had the shadows become longer, darker?

Was it just Rin, or was every sound around her a whisper hidden from her ears?

"Hey."

Rin didn't recognize the voice. She didn't recognize the two demons who nearly materialized in front of her. And she certainly didn't recognize the sick smile which spread across the taller one's face when he asked if she was Kagome Higurashi's sister.

.x.x.

**A/N: Haha… cliffy… am I evil? XD**

**Hiiii! ****Hello, long time, sorry about that! A billion thanks to purduepup, Roses Kiss, bear lover, k and ai, Tomatosoup Inc., iheartinuyasha, LunaP, beautiful-surreal, mayalewis16, xXthenextbookwormXx, InuLuver22199, BGuate224, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, Daichilover, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, and shadowisis for reviewing! You guys are awesome, I'm sorry I made you wait so long! **

**The next chapter should be up soon, by the way. So, REVIEW! :) **


	52. Reading Comprehension

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: I promised a quick update, didn't I? ;). Here you go! **

.x.x.

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO: READING COMPREHENSION

"H-who are you?"

Rin's voice was shaky, and she hated it; the trembling, the quaking. But what else could she do? What else could she do but stand there with shaking hands, slowly backing away, knowing that they could easily catch her if she tried to run?

It occurred to Rin, in her panic, that the two male demons were oddly familiar.

"We don't really need to answer that, sweetie," the shorter said lazily. "We just want to know who _you _are—and if you're who we _think _you are, and need you to be."

Rin gulped. The taller demon looked her in the eye, and when warm brown clashed with frozen ice, Rin stiffened.

"You're Rin Higurashi," he said, smirking.

_A statement, _Rin thought. _He knows who I am._

Her eyes narrowing, Rin couldn't help but ask herself, _If they're so sure, then why are they asking?_

_ And why do they need me?_

At that last thought, her blood turned to ice.

What to do… what could she do? She could deny it, a voice told her. She could tell them she was not Rin, she could tell them she had never heard of a _Rin_, she could tell them to leave her alone and mind their own business. She could deny everything.

But Rin doubted whether they would believe a shivering squeak.

"Leave me alone," she muttered.

"Can't do that," the shorter one said. Smirking, he continued, "We need some help from you. You know your sister? Kagome? She's been giving us some trouble, and lately we've heard that that half breed boyfriend of hers got her a ward. Which means we can't touch her. So, we were thinking—"

"Idiot," the taller said carelessly. "Why the hell does she need to know all this?"

"Well, why not?" the shorter scoffed. "We're taking the little bitch with us, and she might as well know why."

Rolling his eyes, the taller demon said, "Whatever. If you want it that way."

Rin had a feeling that it _was _how the shorter wanted it; that the demon wanted to frighten her, that he wanted her to scream, to know what was coming, to draw it out. That he wanted to feel her sweat and writhe.

She was in trouble. She'd really done it now.

With a racing heart and short breaths, Rin did the only thing she could think of: turn around and sprint away as fast as she could, whipping her cell phone out, finger en route to the number pad.

"I don't think so, bitch."

A fist pushed her backwards, hard, and Rin screamed.

Her screeching rang in the deserted streets, it contorted the air so that it was bent and warped. She could see the jagged waves of sound hanging in front of her, enveloping her, filling her vision with warped waves and lines… filling her head with screaming, so that her own shouts were thrust back at her, so that she screamed louder, and writhed with pain—

"You see what we can do?"

In that moment, when the shorter demon spoke, the pain stopped. All Rin could hear was the ringing, the remnants of that bloodcurdling, agonizing scream.

It rang in her ears, a dull echo.

"What _I_ can do," the taller demon reminded him with a cool smile. "But say whatever you want, Gatenmaru. We have what we need, and I could not care less."

_Gatenmaru._

Rin recognized the name, and it was the shock of recognition which made her blurt, "YOU'RE Gatenmaru and Menomaru! W-what do you want with my sister?"

Only after she had said the words did she realize how badly she had put her foot in her mouth.

_Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid._

"That doesn't matter," Gatenmaru growled. "Now come on, bitch. We may not be able to harm your sister, but I'm sure she'll come to us rather than see _you _be harmed."

"No—no—get away—GET AWAY FROM—"

"Leave her. Now."

The voice, so cool and so deadly and so calm and so furious, froze Rin, Gatenmaru, and Menomaru in their places. But then, while Gatenmaru and Menomaru stiffened, Rin had an entirely different reaction.

She almost melted.

Sinking to her knees, Rin trembled, splaying her hands out before her to keep her steady, for she feared that if she moved them, she might fall and never get up. The world spun about her, spun into place rather than out of it. And suddenly the empty, foreign streets was a sunny suburb, and the shadows were just shadows, and the trees were green and the sky was blue and the sun was bright….

_Where am I? _Rin thought. _Am I… wait…._

She was in Tokyo. Several blocks away from her house, just around the corner from the school.

_What happened?_

Then Rin saw the man standing in front of her.

_Sesshomaru, _she thought through a haze of nauseous dizziness. _I don't know how you found me, but… here you are._

And there he was, standing in front of her, being a barrier between she and her attackers—cutting them off entirely with just his back.

He didn't spare them a glance as he looked down at Rin.

"Stand up. You're all right," he said.

_That's it? That's it?_

Rin sighed a little, standing up, berating herself for sighing at all. _What did I expect? A hug? _She thought, saddened at the wistful sound of her thoughts. Looking up at Sesshomaru, she saw that though he did not extend a hand to help her, his eyes were on her face… his piercing golden eyes, like rivers of icy amber.

_Like a golden blizzard, _Rin thought dazedly, staring into his eyes. _Cold and beautiful… amazing…._

Straightening her clothes, Rin smiled ruefully and thought, _Wish I had eyes like that._

Sesshomaru looked her over once, nodded, and then turned and began to walk past her, saying a simple, "Come."

"Wait," Gatenmaru said.

"Don't speak to me, or to her," Sesshomaru said coolly. "If you ever do so again, this Sesshomaru will kill you. And if you ever so much as lay a finger on Rin… you will wish you had never been brought into the pitiful excuses for existences which you call your lives."

Rin shivered at the threat, but couldn't help but think, _It's for me._

It was for her.

"What's she to you?" Menomaru asked almost curiously. "Don't tell me the great Sesshomaru has found a human mate."

Gatenmaru laughed derisively at that. "Ha! Inuyasha AND Sesshomaru? Must run in the family, huh? Fucking morons." Glancing at Rin, he added, "I guess she's pretty, but I wouldn't think your type would go for a weakling like her. I would've pinned you for a more… _feisty _girl."

Rin wasn't sure what did it for her. Perhaps it was the confusion she felt at being called Sesshomaru's mate? Perhaps it was the mess of embarrassment and happiness and chagrin and disbelief which enveloped her, consuming her thoughts? Or maybe it was the insult to Sesshomaru, or to herself. It could have been any of those which was the last straw for Rin, and she didn't care which one it was.

Either way, she balled her hands into fists, stepped away from Sesshomaru, and spoke.

"Shut up!" she said sharply. _I wish my voice wasn't so high, _she thought, trying not to panic. _It's so hard to be harsh when you've got a voice like a chipmunk! _"I-I'm not his mate. I'm his friend. Leave him alone! Y-you're the morons. And…" Rin took a deep breath, asked herself whether she was really going to say the next part, and then decided to say it.

"I'm not a weakling," she growled.

Beside her, she could have sworn she saw Sesshomaru's lips quirk.

Gatenmaru and Menomaru might have laughed. In fact, she thought they would, so she was surprised when their faces remained blank. _Probably because Sesshomaru's here, _she thought. _They fear him, despite what they say. _

But even so, Rin couldn't help but feel proud.

"Leave her alone," Sesshomaru said coolly. "Your business with Kagome Higurashi is none of mine, but do not harm Rin, or you will pay the consequences."

Gatenmaru quirked an eyebrow. "What? You're just gonna kill us? We're _students_, remember?"

Maybe Rin was the only one who felt the tangible change in the atmosphere then. Maybe she was the only one who sensed something ancient, something powerful being invoked into their presence. Maybe she felt it, and none of them did. But she was overwhelmed by its power when Sesshomaru spoke.

"You may have been tamed by time and forgotten our ways," he said softly, "But do not presume to think, for a moment, that you or I are a normal high school student. Laws and rules there might be, but ancient codes precede them always."

Rin stared at him in utter astonishment, so enraptured that she almost did not notice Gatenmaru and Menomaru slipping into the distance.

"Rin. They're gone."

Then Rin blinked and remembered where she was.

"What happened?" she stuttered. "I was—I was—I was in the streets! They were empty! It was dim, and I was lost, and then they appeared, and—"

"An illusion," Sesshomaru said simply. "You were here all along. They simply made you see the empty streets, made you think that you were all alone with them."

Rin stared at him for a moment before turning her gaze to the passersby, who were walking down the street with ease, with smiles, with laughter. In fact, it was all too casual… much too casual….

"If I was the only one who saw the illusion," Rin said slowly, "How come nobody came to help me? I… well… except you."

The last words were soft, causing a faint blush to arise on her cheeks. Sesshomaru cast a glance toward her, eyes almost appearing to soften, if a golden blizzard could do such a thing.

"They could not see you," he said slowly, as if measuring himself, reigning himself in. "They were made not to see you. I saw you because I am a powerful demon."

"So their illusions don't work on powerful demons?" Rin asked, confused.

Sesshomaru shook his head slightly. "I'll explain the rest soon… but could we go to my apartment? My car is nearby."

Rin nodded, quirking her head, almost asking why, but thinking better of it. Sesshomaru set off at a brisk pace, Rin almost jogging to keep up, face set into a frown.

_Why does he want to leave so badly? _She thought. _Why… _

Suddenly her face fell, stomach churning with deep, wretched chagrin.

_He's ashamed, _she thought, certain that this was the truth. _He doesn't want to be seen with me._

This thought made Rin cast her eyes downward, her feet dragging slightly as she followed him into his nondescript, average car. It was a car which would not draw attention to itself, but a nice car all the same.

_Like him, _Rin thought glumly. _Unreadable. Impossible to interpret._

Stepping on the pedal, beginning to drive away, Sesshomaru cast a long glance toward her. He stared for a long time, for so long that Rin wondered whether he realized he was staring at all. She shifted a little, wondering what to do; ask him what he was looking at? Ignore it?

In the end, he made it easy.

"Why are you upset?" Sesshomaru asked, brow creasing just the smallest amount.

Rin stared at him, for a moment too surprised to answer.

Shaking his head, Sesshomaru looked away. "I don't need to know," he said, almost more to himself than to her. "But you still want to know about the two demons, right?"

Rin nodded excitedly, chagrin gone. _He cares, _she thought. _Ashamed or not, he cares. I don't blame him for being embarrassed. I can't blame him for that… but…._

_ But he cares. Despite that, he cares about me._

Grinning despite herself, Rin said with energy, "Yes! I want to know everything! Why do they want Kagome, anyway? Kagome mentioned them once—she told me something about them. She didn't tell me much about the illusions, though. I wasn't prepared for that. But—but what do they want with my sister? Kagome, she—"

Suddenly, like a blow to the stomach, Rin recalled several other of Sesshomaru's words.

"Why did you say that?"

The wretchedness, the betrayal in her voice surprised even Rin, and it certainly surprised Sesshomaru. He turned to her, raising an eyebrow, raising an eyebrow which should have made anyone quail… but not Rin. Rin didn't back down. Rin stared right back at him, eyebrows knotted, pouting belligerently.

"Well?" she demanded.

Sesshomaru looked away from her, eyes cold. "This Sesshomaru does not know of what you speak."

"My sister," Rin said quietly, all the anger gone, leaving only sadness. "Why did you say that you didn't care what happens to Kagome?"

All was quiet. For a moment, neither spoke; Rin refused to speak, promising herself that she would not say another word until Sesshomaru explained himself. _He must have an explanation, _she thought, frowning. _He's not like they said. He's… he's kind. I know he is. Deep down, beneath the mask, Sesshomaru is a good person._

_ Otherwise, why would he have saved me?_

Sadness fading, Rin thought, almost confused, _Doesn't he realize that if someone hurts Kagome, they hurt me, too?_

But it seemed Rin would have to wait a little longer, and her promise was put to the test, because for the next several minutes, Sesshomaru was silent. All Rin heard was the _whoosh _of wind and skid of tires on the road.

When it became almost unendurable, Sesshomaru spoke.

"It is not right for ancient demons to interfere in the business of humans," Sesshomaru said tonelessly.

"I'm human," Rin said softly. "Why do you protect me, then?"

Apparently Sesshomaru had no answer for that.

"Sesshomaru!" she said almost pleadingly. "Please! You have to help my sister. What's wrong with protecting humans? It's not right to sit back and watch people suffer!" Breathing hard, Rin said something she was certain she would regret. "Inuyasha protects Kagome. He's a demon. Why not you?"

Sesshomaru hissed, eyes flashing, and for a moment, Rin felt what she knew others felt. She felt the fear, she felt the awe, she felt the strength radiating off of him. And for that second, she was genuinely afraid.

Sesshomaru caught her eye, and suddenly he froze. Suddenly, for a millionth of a split second, Rin could have sworn that he looked… almost….

_No, _Rin thought. _He doesn't look… why would he look…?_

Sad.

_No._

Sesshomaru took a deep breath, tearing his eyes off of her, and said with abated fury, "Do not compare this Sesshomaru to that half breed. He is a disgrace to our father and our family. He is a perfect example of what demons aspire _not _to be. If he would respect the code, he might find that he would garner more respect for himself, instead of hatred and disdain, as he has earned."

His words left them both in a paralyzed silence. Rin repeated that short speech in her head, over and over again, over and over, over and over, thinking that she might be able to finding _something _in it… something other than disgust. But no matter how hard she searched, the words were still as cold as they had been the first time, when they had chilled her veins and frosted her heart.

_I don't understand, _Rin thought, frowning. Her fingers clenched, fists forming on her lap, as she thought angrily, _I don't understand him!_

Rin's eyes widened, for she realized that that was true.

_I really don't understand him, _she thought sadly, looking at her mournful face in the car mirror. _For all my attempts, for all my efforts, no matter how hard I try to reach out to him… I just can't get through to him. He's unreadable._

Not daring to look at Sesshomaru, Rin kept her eyes on her face. On the wide cheekbones, the fluffy bangs, the big eyes, the slightly raised eyebrows which she knotted into a frown… her face. The face she had been born with, the face she understood better than any other.

_Or maybe that's not true, _Rin thought, frowning.

She thought of Kagome, she thought of Inuyasha, she thought of her mother, she thought of her deceased father, she thought of her brother and Miroku and Sango and Ayumi and Eri and Hojo. She thought of everyone she had ever known, and realized that all these faces were so familiar that sometimes, she thought she knew them better than her own face.

_I understand people, _Rin thought. _It's just the way I am. I know people, I _get _people. It only takes a few minutes for me to understand my friends and family, to understand the people around me. And I know them so well that the only person who will ever confuse me, sometimes, is… me._

_ Except for now._

Rin looked back to Sesshomaru, and realized that he was the only other person in the world who she did not understand. And maybe that could have made her feel lonely. Maybe that could have made her feel sad or angry. But instead, it slipped a smile onto her face.

_I don't understand myself, _she thought, _And I don't understand him. It's us. Us two are the only ones I haven't really figured out._

At this thought, she smiled wider, and when Sesshomaru turned to glance at her, she did not blush. Just smiled.

Lips twitching, Sesshomaru turned back to the road without a word.

.x.x.

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry if I disappointed any of you. I think some of you were hoping for a big fight scene, but I wasn't ready for that in this point in the story. This was more to introduce the concept that Rin, too, may now be a target. I think a big fight scene might have derailed the storyline a little bit. Anyway, I hope this was okay, and if you're disappointed, again, I'm sorry! DX**

** Thanks to iheartinuyasha, k and ai, HelloGoodbye, BGuate224, Roses Kiss, MegamanSora, purduepup, beautiful-surreal, Daichilover, Tomatosoup inc., Bunnyz, bear lover, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, warriormaiden60, bloodshadows, and anonymous () for reviewing! :D **

** PS for purduepup: you forgot to log in on your review so I couldn't reply, and you also neglected to leave a name on the anonymous review, but you have a very… ah… UNIQUE reviewing style, so don't worry, I know it was you ;D. **

** Next chapter in a few days! Also, I'm going on vacation soon, so I MAY be posting multiple chapters on my next update. However, after the multiple-chapter update, I won't update for about two weeks :(. BUT YAY! MULTIPLE CHAPTERS! (How many depends on how many reviews I get ;D)**

** So, REVIEW! :D **


	53. Why Get To Know You Games Are Evil

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: PLEASE REVIEW EACH CHAPTER INDIVIDUALLY! I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT! :D**

**GRAAAAAA! For some reason, this site decided to delete my latest three chapters, as well as, it seems, all your reviews. I have no idea how that happened, but I am now re-posting them. The reviews MIGHT show up again, but if they don't, I'm gonna go and re-post all your reviews from the anonymous reviewers' thing. (Cause I'm just OCD that way, and I like seeing the number go up. XD)**

**IMPORTANT: ****It's your fault if you don't read this and therefore get confused ;P. This chapter, and the chapter to come, take place before Rin's run-in with Menomaru and Gatenmaru. **

.x.x.

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE: WHY STUPID GET TO KNOW YOU GAMES ARE INHERENTLY EVIL

It was nice in the park.

That was all I could think about as I sat beside Inuyasha, with our sleeping baby, on the green, soft grass by the lake. That was all I could think about as the wind ruffled my hair, as his silver locks glistened in the bright sun, as he watched me feed crumbs to the begging ducks. All I could think was that it was nice… just nice.

It was nice in the park… much nicer than I had thought it would be.

At first I'd thought it would be awkward. Just me and him, just me and him and the baby, just us, in the park, eating ice cream by the pond… _Almost like a date, _a voice in my head had told me. _Almost like you're a couple. _

That thought was what had made me nervous as we collapsed together onto the ground, the water inches away from our toes. That was what had made my heart race, my jaw clench. The fact that it was almost like a date… that it was almost like _I _was on a date with _him… _

Almost.

But it was nice in the park, and the more I thought about it, the more surprised I was.

The nervousness, the shyness, the awkwardness? Long gone. I found it impossible to be shy with him, to be nervous in his presence, because despite my new feelings for him, _he _hadn't changed. He was still Inuyasha. Still the first guy I had ever truly despised, still the first guy I had ever truly had feelings for. Still the first guy who made me want to rip his face off just by grinning at me, and yet at the same time, with just a slightly different kind of grin, took my breath away.

Still the first guy to save my life. Still the first guy to turn it upside down.

Smiling slightly, I wondered what the hell was wrong with me. Turning my face into the sun, I asked myself whether it was worth it. What were feelings, in the end, anyway? Just feelings… just ever a glimmer of hope, a flicker of desire, a spark of curiosity… just feelings. And unless acted upon, that was all they would ever be.

Could I act on my feelings? And were they worth the confusion and anxiety they caused me?

Letting the sunlight bathe my face in a golden glow, letting my new necklace rest cool against the skin of my chest, I closed my eyes.

It was nice in the park.

.x.x.

_Fifteen minutes later_

"Keh, no way."

"Why not?"

"You're crazy."

"Come on, why not?"

"_Why?_"

I thought about that for a little. Why had I even suggested it? Why had I brought it up?

Shrugging, I told him, "I don't know. It'll give us something to talk about, I guess. And besides, it couldn't hurt to know each other better."

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow at me. "Wench, I think I know you pretty well already."

I bristled a little at that—partly because of the small smirk he cast my way, partly because I couldn't tell whether he was being honest or trying to get under my skin. Inuyasha has a talent for that. Ambiguous comments, I mean. I've noticed that he'll say something, something which I should've just made up some stupid retort for and let pass, something which barely mattered, and instead of doing what any normal person would've, I would spend the next ten minutes agonizing over the meaning behind the comment. The intent behind it, the _freaking motive. _And then, at the end of the ten minutes, I won't have an answer.

Other than to tell myself that Inuyasha has no such talent; I'm just crazy.

"Well, I'm glad you feel like you've known me all your life," I teased, rolling my eyes at him, "But in case you've _forgotten_, we've only known each other for two weeks."

Two weeks… when I thought about that, about how much had happened in such a short time, I couldn't help but be blown away.

"Two weeks, huh…?"

The tone in his voice made me look up at him. It was… it was almost… no. Heck, no.

_Inuyasha? _Thoughtful? Keh.

At that I almost laughed.

"Alright, wench," he said unexpectedly, facing me, "Let's play this get-to-know you game. Even though it's a meet-and-greet game for morons."

Ironic, isn't it? That I would suggest something I used to think was the epitome of moronic, and _he _would think it was moronic, and I would glare at him for agreeing with me?

Life is a metaphor for irony, I guess. Or maybe irony is a metaphor for life… or… or….

Screw it.

"But," Inuyasha added, a disturbing smirk climbing upon his face, "Let's twist it up a little bit."

Oh no.

I didn't like the tone in his voice one bit. I didn't like the creepy smile or the sparkling golden eyes or the predatory, I'M GONNA EAT YOUR GUTS- esque excitement which crept into his face. Not one bit. You hear me? NOT. ONE.

And I really hoped that my evident apprehension would make him forget what he'd been going to say, but it didn't work.

Crap.

"What _kind _of twisting it up?" I asked warily, eyes narrowed.

"To make it interesting," he explained. Eyes glowing, he told me, "You have to promise to tell the truth, the absolute truth, when I ask a question. And then, if you lie or refuse to answer… I dare you to do something, and you have to do it."

I stiffened.

It was fair, I had to admit. I wanted to play a moronic get-to-know-you game where we take turns asking each other questions. Why, you ask? Isn't it obvious?

I wanted to know more about him, and I wanted him to know more about me. And… finally… I wanted to know if he felt the same way about me as I did about him.

So this was my master plan.

Now, would I actually _ask _him that question? If you think I will, then you're even crazier than I am. Duh. No. No, I'm just going to beat around the bush like some stupid girl, maybe analyze his facial expressions, maybe ponder the tones and twitches in his voice and the light in his eyes like some stupid, obsessed schoolgirl spying on a hot guy….

Jeez. I can't believe I'm actually doing this.

So, anyway, yeah. I wanted to play the game. I also thought it was as moronic as he did, so if he wanted something in exchange, something to make the game more interesting, it was okay, right?

Yes.

Scary?

Of course.

"Fine. Same goes for you," I told him.

I'm a moron.

Inuyasha grinned and said, "Great."

But then a thought came to mind and I said, "Wait. Unless you have some other superpower or something, how will you be able to tell if I'm lying?"

Shrugging, he said, "Demon powers. We're good at telling if people are lying."

"Oh."

Wait… wait, wait, wait.

Narrowing my eyes, I growled, "But then _I _won't be able to tell if _you're _lying."

And then, just because he had to, just because he just wanted to dig under my skin, rip it up, and make me jump up and itch myself like crazy trying to _dig him out before I went insane and died, _Inuyasha folded his arms behind his head, grinned cockily, and said, "But you already agreed to the rules, wench."

Moron. I'm a double moron.

And he's a jerk.

"Jerk," I growled. "Fine. Whatever. We're playing by an honor code, though! So you'd _better _not lie or I will S-I-T you!"

Again, a pretty moot threat, because I couldn't tell when he was lying.

And Inuyasha knew it.

"Sure," he said, casting a smirk my way. "So… you ask first."

Me first, huh?

Getting my act together, I searched my mind for a question. What could I ask him? What did I want to know?

"Why are you so arrogant?" I asked, smirking a smirk of my own. "Is it _genetic_, or is it something you've worked hard to be?"

Inuyasha growled at me, but after a moment, he grinned right back. "Both, wench. So, now it's my turn. Uh… why does it annoy you when I say _keh?_"

I laughed at that unexpected question. "I don't know… it's just, you say it too much! I'll ask you a legitimate question, and you'll just _keh _at me!"

"What? Keh!"

After a beat of dead silence, we both cracked up.

.x.x.

"What's with the random questions, wench?"

"Look," I said, smirking, "Unless you want me prying into your private life, just answer it."

He rolled his eyes. "Keh. I don't have a fucking favorite color. They're just colors!"

"Why do you curse so much?"

"My turn. Uh… why do you care about cursing?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. It's crude, it makes you sound like an uneducated idiot…."

Inuyasha looked at me almost seriously and said, "You know that's a fluke of society, though, right? I mean, hell, if everybody went around saying _fuck_ and _shit _and—"

"I don't need a list!" I interrupted, trying not to laugh.

"Fine, fine. Touchy," he said, smirking. "Anyway, if everybody in the whole world went around saying stuff like that, then it'd be considered okay. Right?"

I had to stop and consider that for a moment, because I realized that he was right.

And that he had me interested, and had taught me something I'd never actually thought about before.

.x.x.

"You ever had any boyfriends?" Inuyasha asked almost offhandedly.

Of course, when the boyfriend subject came up, I was immediately uneasy. "Why do you want to know that?"

Play it cool. Like you don't care. Right.

"It's not your turn to ask a question," he said. "Just answer mine."

Sighing, I said, "No. Haven't I told you that before, though?"

"Keh. Maybe. So… did you ever like anybody?"

"My turn," I reminded him.

Inuyasha smirked. "Nope. You asked if I'd told you that before, and I answered."

"WHAT?"

He had to be kidding.

"That's what happened."

THE JERK WASN'T KIDDING.

"Ask the next question," I growled.

Inuyasha, obviously taking pleasure from my evident torment, said again, "Did you ever like anybody?"

Did I. Not do I. Just… did I.

That was past tense, right?

"No," I said slowly.

If he thought something was off about my answer, he didn't tell me so, but I could've sworn I saw his face twitch.

"All right," I said, glaring. "My turn."

What could I ask? Not about girlfriends. I knew better than to bring up Kikyo again. That was _not _an experience I wanted to relive.

Although now that I thought about it, that was the experience which brought us together.

"Uh…"

"Keh, gonna ask anytime soon?"

I rolled my eyes and fished for a question, and we continued the Q and A.

.x.x.

"Why do you hate your brother?"

"Sesshomaru?" he asked, eyes narrowing. "Keh. He's a bastard. Enough said."

"No, not enough said," I growled. "You made me spill my entire freaking _past _to you, including Hojo—"

"Hobo—"

"_Hojo_," I said pointedly, "And Ayumi and Eri and even _Suzuna_, for crying out loud."

"She sounded like a bitch," Inuyasha said cheerfully.

Grimacing, I said, "Isn't that what I spent the last five minutes _describing _to you?"

He shrugged. "I don't know why you let her bother you. I mean, come on. She sounds like all those other stupid popular girls—bitchy, cliquey, and thirsting for revenge. Why let them get to you?"

I sighed. "I often asked myself that, but while she was picking on me or Rin, I couldn't exactly take time to ask myself why I bothered to listen to her. And it's not like I _let _her pick on me. I mean, I would spit fire right back at her as soon as she took a step toward me!"

Inuyasha grinned. "I bet you would."

And for a second I forgot all about my question about Sesshomaru, because it was one of those breathtaking grins which I wanted to capture on camera and save forever. One of those warm grins that scarcely saw the light of day. One of those grins that made me feel special.

"Hey," he said suddenly, "If we ever see her, point her out to me, okay? Usually I don't hit girls, but bitches don't count."

I had to laugh at that. And as we continued questioning each other back and forth, I let the Sesshomaru thing drop. Sure, my whole _interrogation _idea wasn't going how I thought it would… sure, _I _was the one spilling my whole life story and _he _was the one revealing nothing… but what had I expected?

It didn't matter, anyway. When he grinned that grin which made my heart soar, it made up for everything.

.x.x.

"What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?"

Inuyasha grimaced. "No way I'm going to tell you that."

Grinning widely, I said, "Then it's time for a dare… hmm… I wonder what I'll make you do."

He was backed into a corner, and he knew it.

"Evil wench," Inuyasha growled. "When I was eight, there was this girl I liked—just a little kid crush—and we were playing soccer in gym. I wanted to impress her by running really fast, so I did, and I ran so fast that I bumped right into a wall, got knocked unconscious, and pooped myself. Happy?"

Happy? More than that. I was cracking up.

"Alright," Inuyasha growled, "Now… what's _your _most embarrassing moment?"

That sobered me up real fast.

.x.x.

"Want a Tic-Tac?" he offered, holding out a small box of Tic-Tacs for me.

I nodded, grinning. "Sure. Now it's my turn."

Inuyasha's confusion showed in his eyes when he objected, "No, it's not! It's my turn!"

"Not anymore," I said smugly. "You asked if I wanted a Tic-Tac. I said sure. _That _was a question, and _that _was my answer."

Inuyasha swore.

.x.x.

"Okay," he muttered. "What's the worst thing that ever happened in your life?"

That was an easy one. Not easy to talk about, but easy to answer.

"My dad dying," I said softly.

I didn't elaborate, and he didn't make me.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Okay, after that, I owe you a personal question. Go."

A personal question? Tilting my head slightly, I asked, "What's your biggest regret?"

Inuyasha stared at me. "Regret?"

"Yeah, stupid," I said, smirking. "Even arrogant idiots have regrets."

To my surprise, Inuyasha looked away.

"Hey," I said. "You okay? You going to answer or not?"

There was a moment of silence before he said something I had never, ever expected. He said it so low that it drifted past my ears and I had to ask for it again.

Raising his voice a little, he said gruffly, "Acting like an asshole around you."

My eyes widened.

Me? His biggest regret was… being mean to me?

"I… uh…."

"Oi! I said it! Now just ask a fucking question and get it done with."

Surprised, taken aback, I said, "It's your turn."

Maybe I would have been angry at him for snapping at me. Maybe I would have been hurt. But after what he'd just told me, I couldn't find the strength to be angry.

For a moment we were quiet, and I saw him looking at me. Slowly, his eyes traveled downward, until they rested on the spot on my chest an inch or two beneath the junction of my collarbones. And there they remained, and I watched his face as he frowned, as something churned in his eyes.

Finally he said, almost surprised, "You're still wearing my necklace."

I smiled. "Of course. If you were me, would you even leave the house without this? Would you go _anywhere _without it?" Voice softening, I added, "And besides… I love it."

Inuyasha smiled. And then he went and ruined it by saying, "Keh. You better."

"Sit."

Inuyasha slammed to the ground, muttering a string of curses and violent threats which made me laugh until my sides ached.

Seems like there's a comeback for the Inuyasha Grin after all.

.x.x.

"Okay… uh…"

"Anytime," I said lazily, smirking at him.

The game had lasted much longer than either of us had thought it would, but somehow we weren't bored. Somehow, in the course of the game, we'd ended up lying next to each other, on our backs, heads inches apart, staring up into the blue sky above us.

It was really, _really _nice in the park.

"All right," Inuyasha said. The smirk in his voice worried me, but I hid my fear.

That is, until he said, "If you want me to ask a question so badly, then…."

Inuyasha stopped. And although that might have relieved me, it also terrified me to the core.

Why was he smirking? WHY DID HE STOP?

Inuyasha's face was uncharacteristically serious when he said, "Oi, wench. Do you… like anybody now?"

I think that it was that question, in combination with his oddly serious face and curious eyes, which made my delicious little Tic-Tac take a journey down my air pipe.

"Excuse me," I growled, eyes watering, "While I choke… on my Tic-Tac."

Inuyasha burst out laughing.

The guy has got to be disturbed.

When Inuyasha's cackling and my coughing had subsided, we were left at a mutual understanding. AKA: Inuyasha had asked a question. I had to answer it, or risk whatever dare Inuyasha could come up with.

And knowing Inuyasha, he'd think of something imaginatively awful.

"Couldn't you ask a different question?" I pleaded.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and, to my shock, smirked and said, "Wench, from your red face, it's obvious you like someone. So I'll change my question."

Was he serious? Would he really leave it at that?

When his smirk evolved into his trademark grin, I knew the answer was _no._

"_Who _do you like?"

Unable to breathe, I began to wonder if that Tic-Tac had made it into my lungs. If that were the case, Inuyasha would be indirectly responsible for my death. How ironic.

"You've got to be kidding," I growled, voice low to tell him that I wasn't in the mood for jokes.

"Nope," he said smugly. "No way. So… truth or dare, wench?"

Standing, red-faced, I said, "Neither! Idiot! I—it's personal! Why would I tell you? You'll tell Miroku, and Miroku will tell the whole world and—"

"What the _fuck _are you doing here?"

The sudden, spat demand, the sudden fury in Inuyasha's eyes, made me jump almost a foot into the air. But as much as his outburst shocked me, the voice which breathed down the back of my neck made goose-bumps spring along my arms.

"Careful, darling. Don't want to trip."

I didn't need to turn around to know that it was Gatenmaru.

**DISCLAIMER2: BWAAAAA! I ALMOST FORGOT! I DO NOT OWN THE PHRASE, "Excuse me, while I choke on my Tic-Tac." (nor do I own Tic-Tacs... O.O). That very funny sentence belongs to xXthenextbookwormXx and her sister. :D**

**A/N: Thank you to ninjagurl512, purduepup, k and ai, Tomatosoup inc., beautiful-surreal, BGuate224, iheartinuyasha, LunaP, Daichilover, bear lover, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, Skittle Dog (x2, because you weren't logged in last time and I didn't know you reviewed! DX), rossgirl1997, eragonlover1, sesshomaruandrin1, inuyashafan71235, k and ai again XD, Aneko, ai again XD (this review made me laugh, by the way :D), and Inu-Yasha lov3r1 for reviewing! Love you guys, and I love all of you!**

**This chapter would probably be a cliffy… except that the next one's going to come out in about half an hour… XD O.o**

**REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW BEFORE YOU READ ON, PLEASEEEEEE! :D **


	54. Narrow Escapes and Further Weirdness

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: PLEASE REVIEW EACH CHAPTER INDIVIDUALLY! I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT! :D **

**IMPORTANT: ****It's your fault if you don't read this and therefore get confused ;P. This chapter takes place before Rin's run-in with Menomaru and Gatenmaru.**

**Read and review :D.**

.x.x.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR:NARROW ESCAPES AND OTHER WEIRDNESS

I barely had time to whirl around and scream before Inuyasha was in motion. Before I could even so much as jump backwards, before I could scream or fight or hit or run, Inuyasha's fist was going for Gatenmaru's neck.

Menomaru, almost appearing from nowhere, caught his fist and smirked.

"Look what we have here," he said. "The half breed and his bitch."

Inuyasha hissed in pure fury, and my hands balled into fists. "Don't call her a bitch," Inuyasha growled, as I snapped, "Don't call him a half breed!"

We glanced at each other, and maybe, if the situation weren't so dire, we would have blushed. But as it was, we didn't have time to be juvenile.

"Get the fuck away from her," Inuyasha growled. "Or my fist is gonna rip out your throats."

Menomaru and Gatenmaru laughed.

"Oooh, scary," Gatenmaru said, doubling over, pretending to gasp for breath. Watching him like that, watching him look so careless and so cruel and so hateful, made my vision begin to go red. In that instant, for threatening me and mocking Inuyasha, I hated Gatenmaru more than anybody else in the world.

In that instant, I might have let Inuyasha rip his throat out, but then I recalled what the consequences for Inuyasha would be.

"Calm down," I muttered, taking his hand gently. Only after I'd done it did I realize what I had done. Only after I'd slipped my small fingers into his large, clawed hand did I realize that it might feel a little different from simple comfort.

When Inuyasha's hand tightened around mine, I stepped closer to him, my heart and blood racing.

"Aww, isn't this cute," Menomaru cooed. "You guys would make a great couple… except that we need your bitch."

A low snarl escaped Inuyasha's throat, a snarl which made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end, a snarl which sent a shiver coursing up my spine. A snarl which made me think that Menomaru might not live to see the sunset.

"Yeah, well," Inuyasha snapped at him, "You also need a brain, but we can't all get what we want."

Now it was Menomaru's turn to hiss.

"Half breed," he spat. "Look, we don't have time to deal with you, so just step away from your girlfriend and it'll make everything easier."

Stiffening, I almost thought about how stupid a thing that was to say. It was almost like saying, 'Look, just let us kill Kagome and we won't bother you.' And who in their right mind would agree to something like that? That _would _bother him… I think….

But then I thought of something which chilled me to the core.

Maybe… maybe it wouldn't bother him? Maybe he was tired of fighting for me? Maybe that was why he had stiffened, maybe that was why his hand had gone slack around mine? Maybe that was why he hadn't retorted yet… maybe… maybe he really was going to hand me over.

But then Inuyasha took his hand out of mine and pushed me roughly behind him.

"Over my dead fucking body," he growled, flexing his claws.

I almost cried. First, because he was about to get himself into danger. Second, because he was protecting me. Third, because I wanted to punch myself in the face for being helpless, for not knowing how to use my spiritual powers, and for _looking like a stupid moron_. Fourth, because I'm a stupid, paranoid, emotional idiot. How could I even have thought for a _second _that he would hand me over? HOW?

Oh, and there's a fifth reason I almost cried, too: what Menomaru said next.

"What it is, it is," he said, grinning, stepping toward Inuyasha. "But it doesn't have to be over _her _dead body."

Inuyasha's voice was deadly when he said, "I don't know what you want her for, but I'll die before I let you so much as _touch _her. Bring it, fucker."

And that was when Menomaru's fist collided with Inuyasha's head.

The fight was like most fights tend to be. Rough, terrifying, and fueled by pure rage. Fueled by a need for violence which emanated off of Inuyasha, which burned in Menomaru's and Gatenmaru's cruel eyes. Fueled by a sadistic pleasure in causing pain which, surprisingly, burned with just as much vigor in Inuyasha as in the others. The fight was the stereotypical fight—the guys beating the crap out of each other, and the stupid, cliché damsel in distress screaming her head off.

Guess which one I was?

"Stop it! STOP IT!"

I didn't want to see the yearning for violence in his eyes, I didn't want to see his fists closing slowly around their throats, gently squeezing the life out of them, moment by moment. I didn't want to see him snarling in rage, thirsting for blood. But even more than that, even more than his chilling fury… I didn't want to see him hurt.

It was when Menomaru kicked Inuyasha in the stomach, sending him flying all the way back to me, that I realized I couldn't take it anymore.

There had to be something I could do.

Anything.

"Kagome, stay back," Inuyasha growled. "I'm gonna take care of them."

"No," I said quickly. "I bet somebody's already called the police. We have to get out of here before they come, or—"

He must have been fed up with my attempts to protect him, because the next second, he yelled at me, voice merciless.

"I'm not afraid of the goddamn fucking police! So shut the fuck up and let me protect you!"

Not even the last part made up for the way those words twisted my heart. And not in a good way. Suddenly I felt sick, sick to my core, like I was going to throw up and cry… suddenly I wanted to scream, I wanted to yell, I wanted to do _something_, anything… I wanted him to know how he had hurt me… I'd just wanted to protect him….

"Kagome…"

His eyes were soft, his voice regretful, as he whispered my name, making eye contact for the first time since Menomaru and Gatenmaru had showed up.

"Fine!" I spat, voice choked. "Go! Go get yourself killed! Just… just go!"

I marched back to the spot where we'd left the doll, making as if to leave. But I didn't leave. Instead, I picked up the doll, rocked it close, protectively, in my arms, and watched as Inuyasha cast one last long look at me and leapt toward Menomaru and Gatenmaru.

If he got himself hurt, I would kill him. If he got himself… if he… if…

I couldn't even think that. But the notion made me think about what my last words to him would be… if that happened.

No. It wouldn't happen. Of course, it wouldn't happen. It wouldn't happen because… it wouldn't. It couldn't.

It just _doesn't._

But when Gatenmaru and Inuyasha met each other in a headlock, when Menomaru leaped over Gatenmaru, claws aimed for Inuyasha's head, eyes locked on me, when the baby in my arms started to wail, I couldn't take it any longer.

My feet moved of their own accord until I flew straight past Inuyasha… and into Menomaru and Gatenmaru.

That's right. As in, collided with them. And in the second when our bodies touched, the entire world froze and two things occurred to us.

First, I had just thrown myself in the midst of a demonic fistfight, with nothing to aid me but uncontrolled spiritual power.

…Okay, not my smartest move.

Second, the next split second would decide whether I lived or died.

As it turned out, there was no decision involved, because in the next split second, Menomaru and Gatenmaru flew ten feet backwards, colliding heavily with nearby tree trunks.

Inuyasha and I could do nothing but gape.

There was a moment where nothing happened, where a buzz filled the air, where our thoughts churned. There was a moment where Menomaru and Gatenmaru, dazed, struggled to their knees. Where Inuyasha gawked at me in shock and anger. Where I glared right back at him, and he at me, and we glared half-heartedly at each other, not actually angry, but instead desperate to know what had just happened.

Inuyasha summed the situation up very nicely by saying, "What the fuck?"

"I… I…" suddenly a slight heat drew my eyes to my chest… where a gemstone glowed. "Inuyasha," I said suddenly. "It's the ward."

Inuyasha stared at me in surprise, and then his eyes drifted downward until they rested on my… uh….

THE FREAKING WARD. NOT WHERE IT RESTED.

"Keh," Inuyasha said, a grin stretching across his face. "Looks like it saved your life."

Blushing, I said, "Guess so."

Menomaru and Gatenmaru, eyes a bit loopy, staggered to their feet. "What the… what the fuck…" eyes narrowing, Menomaru glared at me and spat, "The bitch has a fucking ward!"

"What?"

Gatenmaru's eyes landed on my chest and he swore. "Goddamnit… what do we do now?"

"You get the fuck away from us," Inuyasha spat, stepping forward. "If you know what's good for you."

"Why you little—"

"Stop it," Menomaru growled. "We've got better things to do than fight with half breeds."

Gatenmaru, after a reluctant nod, muttered, "We're not done with you."

"Of course not," Menomaru said softly, turning cool eyes to us. "But we're done for now. Let's go."

I didn't like the look in his eyes at all. Even after he had turned and walked away, even after he and Gatenmaru were out of sight, the gaze he had settled on me still gave me chills.

It was the gaze that told me he hadn't given up. And it told me he had a plan.

Inuyasha, as if coming out of a daze, shouted, "O-oi! Hey! Where the fuck are you going?"

He took an aggressive step in the direction in which they'd gone, but almost reflexively, my hands latched around his arm. "Let them go," I muttered. "There's no point. Let's get out of here."

I had expected him to be angry, to be pissed, to be furious and frustrated. What I hadn't expected was to have his wrath directed at _me._

"Don't you tell me what to do!" he hissed, whirling around to face me. Suddenly his hands were on my arms, pinning them to my sides. Suddenly his breath was in my face, suddenly our faces were very close, so close that his eyes burned into mine and our noses almost touched and my heart raced and my eyes widened with something between nervousness and fear….

I couldn't speak. And I couldn't do anything as he burned holes in my face with his gaze, because I was trapped between a very furious Inuyasha and a very solid tree.

"You fucking idiot," he growled. "What did you do that for? Why didn't you leave it well alone like I fucking _told _you to?"

"I'm sorry!" I snapped, almost, but not quite, frightened. His rage was so close, our faces were so close, his body was so close to mine… his hands were rough on my arms… I could feel his claws grating against my skin, I could hear his breath coming heavy….

"I didn't want you to get hurt," I muttered. "And besides, I saved your life."

"No you fucking didn't!" he snarled. "_I _was gonna save _your _life. You almost got yourself killed."

Rage flaring up, I started, "Well, thanks to the ward, obviously, I wasn't going to get ki—"

"YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT."

The words, the fact that they were true, and the betrayal, fury, pain, and rage in his voice shut me up. Suddenly he leaned almost, inexplicably, closer to me. Now for the first time, I saw the red glint in his eyes, and as it began to absorb the gold, I _did _feel afraid.

My breath stopped when he pushed me slightly against the tree and muttered, "You forgot it would protect you. I forgot, too. You weren't thinking about anything when you ran in, and if you hadn't been wearing the ward, you would've died. Fuck it, Kagome."

"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I can say I'm sorry for being careless, and for worrying you, but… I can't say I'm sorry for worrying _about _you."

Inuyasha was very still, and we remained like that for several minutes. Both quiet, his hands on my arms, our faces inches apart. His breath wafted down my neck, and suddenly the quiet wrapped around us, enveloped us, blocked out the rest of the world. The park, the grass, the lake, the trees… all gone. The sky, the flowers, the abandoned ice cream truck, the cars… vanished. All that existed was him, and me, and his hands sliding down my arms. His claws skimmed my ribs and my breath caught. Very, very slowly, he began to bend down, and almost automatically I looked up… and the proximity of our lips stunned me just enough to paralyze me, but not enough to stop me from wondering:

What the _heck _am I doing pinned against a tree by a half-crazy, red-eyed Inuyasha?

My last thought before he leaned closer was that it wasn't every day I found myself so flustered that I felt like the protagonist in one of those corny romance novels, because then one of his hands brushed the small of my back, and I froze.

He leaned closer, and I couldn't think enough to wonder what we were doing… I couldn't breathe enough to speak… I didn't have enough air in my lungs to gasp when one of his claws gently touched my chin. He looked into my eyes, and I watched the reddish tint fade. His golden eyes widened in dazed surprise, and for a moment, just a moment, we froze.

Then the moment was over, and Inuyasha, almost on a whim, it seemed, leaned his lips even closer to mine.

A shrill scream pierced the air.

We jumped apart rapidly, me staring wildly around to pinpoint the source of the shriek… and when I saw no one, when I felt a strange shaking in my arms, I had the strangest urge to collapse with laughter.

It was the baby. The baby was crying.

"Shit," Inuyasha growled, running a hand through his hair, stepping away from me.

"It's okay," I cooed, voice trembling as I breathed deeply, hands shaking as I stroked the doll's head. "It's okay."

It's okay… it's okay, Kagome… everything is okay….

But my racing-the-marathon heart and my rushing-river blood and my desperate, rapid breathing said otherwise.

Inuyasha was quiet as I stroked the baby's head. He made no comment about what had almost just happened, and neither did I. Did that mean that he wanted to forget about it…? That he would have regretted it, if it had really…?

Had he been… had he been about to kiss me?

I gulped at the thought, unsure whether I was thrilled or terrified.

"Oi, Kagome," Inuyasha growled after a second. "She's been quiet for a minute and a half."

Nodding even though I'd already known that, I said, "Yeah."

I kept petting the baby's head until I realized something.

"Hey," I said, staring up at Inuyasha, eyes alight. "You… did you… did you call me Kagome?"

Of course it meant nothing. Sometimes he would do that when he was stressed… or when he was angry… or when he feared for my life… and of course he would be stressed, now… for a variety of reasons… so of course it meant nothing that he had called my by my name.

I would be "wench" again soon enough.

But Inuyasha was silent, and his silence made me scrutinize his face, only to realize that he was looking deep into my eyes, as if searching my soul for a sign. A sign of something I couldn't comprehend but desperately wanted to know….

A sign of _what…?_

And then, just when I thought he hadn't heard me speak, just when I thought I'd have to repeat the question, he said the last thing I'd thought he would say.

"What the hell are you talking about, Kagome?"

I blinked.

…what?

"What?" I said blankly. "What the hell are _you _talking about?" When Inuyasha's eyes remained blank and hazy, when they remained dazedly focused on my face, I said a little nervously, "Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha frowned at me, frowned as if he had never spaced out. "Hey… you okay, Kagome?"

I gawked at him. "Inuyasha… repeat that one more time."

He stared at me like I was crazy, even though _I _was the one who was questioning _his _mental health.

"What the hell do you mean?" Inuyasha demanded.

"You called me Kagome," I said obstinately. "_Again. _Why?"

And then, very slowly, his grin spread across his face.

"As far as I knew, it was your name."

No. No….

It wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible.

You couldn't really _forget _that you'd refused to call someone by their name for two weeks… could you?

Let me rephrase that—could _he?_

"Kagome," he said, smirking, "I think you might want to see a doctor. You've got a case of… what the hell is it called… amnesia?"

And then I caught on, and burst out laughing.

"You _moron,_" I choked out, leaning against his shoulder. "I don't know what you're playing at, but you know what? I don't care. I don't care at all."

Inuyasha laughed also, wrapping an arm around my waist, holding me to his side. And in that moment I didn't care. I didn't care that we'd almost kissed, I didn't care that we'd almost died, I didn't care that somebody in the park had probably called to report a brawl on public property, and I didn't care that his hand was around my waist. I didn't even blush.

All I could think about was that Inuyasha had called me Kagome… and that he was pretending he had never even called me wench.

I can't explain that decision, but you know what? I don't care.

If that's how he wants it… I'll take it.

And I was still thinking about this incredible phenomenon when suddenly, it occurred to me that _Inuyasha's arm was around my waist and we almost kissed._

Face burning up, I began to near Full Panic Mode on the Kago-meter.

So it was pretty good timing that a few seconds later, the cops showed up.

"Aw, shit," Inuyasha growled, stepping away from me, face as red as mine, looking anywhere but at me.

"I told you," I growled. "I _told _you."

"Fuck… uh… come on!"

I hadn't been prepared for the almost-kiss, I hadn't been prepared for the almost-panic it caused me, I hadn't been prepared for the cops, and I wasn't prepared when Inuyasha slung me and the baby doll over his shoulder.

"What—what are you—whaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?"

Inuyasha grumbled to himself about loud wenches as he took of in a full sprint, with me on his back, trying my hardest not to make myself look like anymore of an idiot than I already had. My eyes widened to the size of basketballs as I dared a glance over his shoulder—and immediately regretted it, seeing that we were jumping from rooftop to rooftop, several stories above the ground.

"Stop it. Stop it. STOP I—"

"You want to face the police instead?" Inuyasha growled.

"Maybe I was wrong," I moaned. "Maybe they're nice—they might understand if we talk it out with them—"

Inuyasha turned his head just enough so that I could see him quirk an eyebrow at me… and smirk.

"Kagome, if you think they'll understand the situation if we just 'talk it out with them,' then you're even crazier than I thought you were."

"CRAZY?" I retorted, voice cracking slightly due to the fact that Inuyasha had just jumped five stories and landed on the sidewalk without breaking the pace, eliciting many sidelong stares from nearby citizens of Tokyo. "I'm not—"

I cut myself off.

Who am I kidding?

And as if Inuyasha knew what I was thinking, he began to laugh. And something about that laugh made me laugh, too, and we kept laughing the whole way until we were far away from the park, until my fear of riding on his back was long dead… until we had come to a stop on a quiet street.

Choking out words through laughter, I managed, "That was… that was…."

"Awesome," Inuyasha finished, grinning widely.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Well, not the fighting part. But everything else. Everything else was…."

I blushed.

Inuyasha frowned at me. "What?" But as the frowned faded and was replaced by comprehension, he, too, blushed.

We were silent until the baby made a tiny sound.

"What the hell does it want now?" Inuyasha demanded, grimacing at the doll.

"Don't know," I said honestly. "It's not crying though. It's sort of… it's sort of…."

The baby made the sound again, and then, suddenly, I knew.

"She's laughing," I said, stunned. "She's _laughing!"_

And something about this made me smile. Something about this made me laugh, too. I was so preoccupied with our adorable plastic child that I almost didn't notice the strange look Inuyasha was giving me.

Almost.

"Hey, Kagome," he said. "It's just a baby doll."

"But _she's laughing!_" I cried, eyes alight.

My eyes glowed as I looked up at him, and I was almost taken aback by how this simple thing made me happy. Inuyasha frowned dubiously at me… but after a moment, even the creases on his forehead were smoothed by the baby's giggles, and he smiled.

Looking at her, I suddenly had the weird and disturbing feeling that she was laughing at _us. _

**A/N: Review, guys! Love you all! …I have a feeling there's something I wanted to ask you, but I have no idea what it is, so… see you soon! REVIEW! **


	55. Questions and Steamrollers

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: PLEASE REVIEW EACH CHAPTER INDIVIDUALLY! I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT! :D **

**IMPORTANT: ****It's your fault if you don't read this and therefore get confused ;P. This chapter takes place before Rin's run-in with Menomaru and Gatenmaru.**

**Read and review :D.**

.x.x.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE: QUESTIONS AND STEAMROLLERS

INUYASHA POV

You ever been in one of those situations where you can't decide if you're happy or really fucking freaked out?

That's how I felt as I lay on the grass, hands behind my head, just inches away from Kagome. That's how I felt as I looked up into the blinding sun and held its gaze until it just couldn't take the heat anymore and hid behind a puffy white cloud. _Cumulus. _That's what they're called.

Stupid scientists, making up stupid words for every fucking thing they see….

My eyes slid toward the girl next to me, just like they'd been doing every so often for the last ten minutes. Just like they'd been doing ever since we'd collapsed in the grass with a sleeping baby doll, since I took a picture of Kagome and the baby by the lake, and noticed how the wind lifted her hair, carrying her scent toward me….

Shit.

I tried to tear my eyes off of her. Fuck, I tried. But no matter how hard I pulled, no matter how my muscles tensed and my breathing quickened, no matter how I exhausted myself trying to escape the magnetic aura around Kagome, I couldn't get away.

So in the end I gave up, and every so often, when the pull was too strong to resist any longer, I looked at her again. At the small curve of her nose, at the wavy, thick locks of raven hair ruffled by the breeze, at things I'd never even _noticed _before, let alone thought I would ever think about _Kagome. _

Things change fast. Lives, feelings. That's what I've learned in my many years of life: that the world changes before you even realize the ground's started to shift, and if you don't just go with it, you get crushed by a steamroller.

I'm a good example of steamroller-bait.

In the past, I've always held on tight to how I knew things. Hell, I don't like change, I know that. Change is hard for me, and sometimes I wonder why it seems harder for me to accept things than for _humans _to accept things, when even though I'm seventeen, I've lived, technically, for many more human years than any human my age.

I won't even bother to explain the nuances of the aging thing. No human would understand it. I look like a regular teenager—well, except that I'm really fucking hot (so I've been told) and I've got claws, silver hair, gold eyes, and two annoying-as-fuck dog ears on top of my fucking head. But even though I look like a regular teenager, I've been alive for over forty years and in certain terms of demon maturity, being a half demon, I'm more mature than any seventeen year old humans.

So, if I'm supposed to be more _mature, _then why the hell am I such a fucking moron?

Looking at Kagome, catching myself staring, I wondered how it could've taken so long for me to realize my feelings for her. Hell, how could anyone _not _have feelings for her? How could I have ever hated her when just her smile, just her peaceful expression, just her ease and comfort, made me feel a warmth I hadn't felt in… well… a long time, if not ever.

Fuck it. I'm being a sap again.

The feelings thing gets on my nerves sometimes, I'll admit. But once I'm about ready to say, "Screw it, I can't do this anymore," and just get up and walk right out of her life so I can go beat some sense into my head, she'll smile or talk to me or tease me, and I'm right back where I started.

Goddamn it.

I really wanted to start a conversation going. Not because the silence was awkward, but cause I thought that if it continued for one more second, I was gonna rip my fucking head off. Something about the serenity of the surroundings… the calm, comfortable silence… made me… almost… vulnerable.

I hate being vulnerable, no matter what I'm vulnerable to. Even if it's being vulnerable to myself. Grimacing, I knew that I had to do something to eradicate the vulnerability. But part of me wondered just how far I would have to go, and I had to ask myself whether it was worth it.

It's normal, my human voice said, as annoying and condescending and fucking _helpful _as ever. You're not vulnerable. You've just opened yourself to feelings you'd never let yourself see before. Of course you're going to be scared.

_I'm not fucking scared, and of course I'm not fucking vulnerable. I'm just fucking ANNOYED._

That you can't stop thinking about her? Believe me, it annoys me, too. You're practically a stalker.

If I'd been eating something, I would've choked. But then the little asshole said two smug words which made me want to find it and beat it to death.

Just kidding.

If that fucker had a face, it would be grinning… before I smashed its nose into its brain.

So it's a good thing I'm a part of you, right? 

Silently, I groaned.

If this conversation was going like most tended to go when I was talking to the voices in my head, then the human probably would say something obnoxious about how I'd be lost without him, and I'd give him one of my genius retorts that the little shit just couldn't appreciate, and my demon would pop in and start arguing with the human and telling me Kagome was my mate, and I would tell him to fuck off. And I'd probably say that out loud, too, just cause I tend to screw up that way. And then Kagome, being a moron and thinking I was talking to her, would tell me to sit.

That's not what happened, though.

"Hey," Kagome said abruptly, breaking the silence. "Let's play Questions, Questions."

Suddenly I wished it had all gone to shit like I thought it would.

"Keh, no way," I said, rolling my eyes. She had to be kidding. _Questions, questions? _For one thing, why the hell would she want to play some stupid get-to-know-you game with a guy she already knows? Screw that—why would _anyone _want to play a get-to-know-you game with _anyone? _

And why the hell did she think for a second I would agree?

"Why not?" she asked indignantly, playing innocent.

_Keh, _I thought. _Like you don't know… _"You're crazy," I sufficed, grunting at her.

And she must've been crazy, too, cause she persisted.

"Come on, why not?" Kagome begged, getting the pleading look in her eyes that most guys probably couldn't resist. Stupid wench… she probably used that look all the time on all those poor, unfortunate saps who fell for her pretty face. Thinking about it, I started to get pissed off. I could just see it—all those guys, lining up for miles and miles, bearing gifts and flowers….

It pissed me off—both the idea, and the fact that I was actually fucking imagining it.

Before I could actually start growling, I caught myself and demanded, "_Why?_"

For the shortest second, Kagome went quiet. And during that second, I knew that she was either gonna cave and admit it was a stupid, dangerous idea, or she was gonna give me some answer that made no sense at all, and I would have to nod like it wasn't the most fucking retarded thing I'd ever heard and keep arguing until she gave it up.

I hoped it would be the first one, but in case it was the second, I needed a good case.

_Questions, questions, _and all games involving randomly prying into people's lives for no fucking reason, is one of those things I don't do. Especially not with Kagome. _Definitely_ not with Kagome. It's just one of those things which for one thing, I wouldn't be caught _dead _doing, and for another, I can't afford to do. Who wants a curious woman asking them personal questions? Hell, not me. There's stuff I don't want to talk about with anyone in the world—including my friends, Miroku and Sango, and also including Kagome.

But I've noticed that Kagome has a tendency to draw out stuff from me that I never planned on saying in my entire life, and I can't afford slip-ups like that when it's something important.

Kagome's shrug drew my attention, and for a fleeting, crazy second, I thought she was gonna say she was stupid and forget about it. But that wasn't what she said.

"I don't know. It'll give us something to talk about, I guess. And besides, it couldn't hurt to know each other better."

She's insane. But I must be, too… for not shooting her ideas down with more attitude than a smirk and a, "Wench, I think I know you pretty well already."

Kagome glared half-heartedly. "Well, I'm glad you feel like you've known me all your life," she teased, rolling her eyes at me, even though she was smiling. I couldn't help but think that people shouldn't do that. If you smile you're happy, if you roll your eyes you're annoyed. How the hell can you be happy AND annoyed at the same time?

But apparently Kagome _could_, because she took no notice of my thoughts and went on.

"But in case you've _forgotten_, we've only known each other for two weeks."

Two weeks… when I thought about it that way, that all this crud had happened in just fourteen days, I was blown away. Two weeks… in two weeks, we went from hatred to… to….

"Two weeks, huh…?" I said softly, thinking.

In two weeks, it had happened. In two weeks, me and Kagome had changed mutual loathing into… what?

It was like before; I couldn't finish the sentence, cause I had no fucking idea what it had changed into. And that made me realize just how fucked up our situation was.

_My _situation. I have to call it my situation, not our situation, cause if I say it's _our _situation, then I'm gonna start thinking Kagome has the same feelings I do—whatever the hell those feelings are. And who knows? Maybe she _does _have the same feelings. But then again, there's a good chance she doesn't, and if there's one thing I've learned in my life, it's that _hope _is a fucked up, deceitful bitch.

You can't trust hope. In the end, it breaks you.

I looked at Kagome, only to find her deep brown eyes focused on me. They were almost… confused. But why would she be confused? _I _was the one confused as hell, not her. _I'm _the one whose world's gotten spun around on its axis, not her…

But who knows? Hell, maybe she was going through the same thing I was.

Kagome's lips quirked, and for a second my eyes were drawn to them… and for a second… for a second I thought….

That decided me.

I couldn't fucking wait any longer. I needed to know, and I needed to know _soon_, before my fucking head exploded. How the hell do people live like this? Not knowing… but _needing _to know….

I'm not one of those idiots who's content to just sit back and wait for the answer to come; and no matter how my world changes, I'll never be one of those idiots. So I realized, looking at Kagome, seeing her smile and hold back a laugh for some reason I couldn't fathom, that I needed to figure out how she felt.

Even if it was to find that she didn't return my feelings, I still needed to know that. And if worst came to worst, and she felt nothing for me other than friendship, then… I could just tell my feelings to fuck off, and it'd all be back to normal. Back to friendship. Hell, I've got willpower… lots of it. If I can punch a guy in the face or rip a demon to shreds, it should be easy to get rid of something like a feeling… right?

Suddenly I wasn't so sure, so I put the thought out of mind with a solid, _Keh. I could do it._

Whether or not I could do it, if I needed to do it, I knew I'd be able to. That's just the kind of guy I am. The strong kind.

So I faced Kagome, and at that moment, I suddenly thought of a way to maybe figure it out.

"Alright, wench," I said. "Let's play this get-to-know you game. Even though it's a meet-and-greet game for morons." And then, knowing how much she would _love _this next part and knowing how much I was going to love telling her, I couldn't help but smirk. "But," I said, pausing for dramatic emphasis, "Let's twist it up a little bit."

I had a feeling Kagome wouldn't like this idea, and she didn't disappoint. Seeing her stiffen, I smirked. Whatever my feelings for her are, I'll never stop teasing her. Of that, I'm certain.

"What _kind _of twisting it up?" she asked warily, eyes narrowed.

"To make it interesting," I explained. "You have to promise to tell the truth, the absolute truth, when I ask a question. And then, if you lie or refuse to answer… I dare you to do something, and you have to do it."

Kagome stiffened. I was almost positive she was going to say no way, so when a little flicker of thought ran through her eyes, when a sudden resolve seemed to hit her, I was surprised. And I was even more surprised when she said, a little reluctantly, "Fine. Same goes for you."

She agreed. I don't know why, but she fucking agreed.

Grinning, I said, "Great."

Kagome nodded hesitantly, and then suddenly said, "Wait. Unless you have some other superpower or something, how will you be able to tell if I'm lying?"

I shrugged. "Demon powers. We're good at telling if people are lying."

"Oh," she said.

I struggled not to smirk, cause it was dead obvious that she hadn't realized the main thing I've done that makes me a genius.

Then she realized.

Eyes narrowing, she growled, "But then _I _won't be able to tell if _you're _lying."

Damn right.

Hell, she was the one who wanted to play the game, so we would play by _my _rules. And this way… maybe I could decipher some of her fucking incomprehensible feelings. Grinning and stretching, I said, elaborately casual, "But you already agreed to the rules, wench."

Kagome twitched.

"Jerk," she growled. "Fine. Whatever. We're playing by an honor code, though! So you'd _better _not lie or I will S-I-T you!"

That was moot, but what would be the point of pointing that out? "Sure," I said, casting a smirk her way. "So… you ask first."

Kagome looked almost like she was surprised at that, and I had to admit, I was sorta surprised, too. Why would I want _her _to begin the questions? Actually, the more I thought about it, the more I wished I'd said that _I_ would ask _her _a question first.

Shit.

"Why are you so arrogant?"

That question got my attention. I stared up at her to find her smirking right at me, and then her lips parted again and she said, "Is it _genetic,_ or is it something you've worked hard to be?"

The damn wench was _screwing _with me!

Cause I didn't want to act like I was annoyed, and because it was a pretty easy question to lie to, I grinned back at her. "Both, wench. So, now it's my turn. Uh…" thinking on instinct, I asked the first thing that came to mind. But when I said it, unfortunately, it sounded a lot more like I was curious than like I was trying to annoy her.

"Why does it annoy you when I say _keh?_"

Kagome laughed, proving both that she wasn't taking me seriously at all and that I hadn't annoyed her one fucking bit, which was sorta disappointing. "I don't know… it's just, you say it too much!" she said, voice and eyes becoming animated, distracting me from my disappointment. "I'll ask you a legitimate question, and you'll just _keh _at me!"

I stared at her, and said without thinking, "What? Keh!"

After a beat of dead silence, we both cracked up.

.x.x.

The game lasted for longer than I'd thought it would, and probably longer than she'd thought it would. But I found, as I asked her questions and she returned the favor, as we answered each others' inquiries and laughed and teased and grimaced and growled, that… aw, hell, I can't believe I'm saying this, but… the game wasn't so bad.

Fuck. I've gotta be insane.

It was pretty fun, though, to have a regular, back-and-forth conversation with Kagome, jumping from topic to topic, mixed with teasing and laughing and smiling—a whole fucking lot of smiling. An _abnormal, unnatural amount of smiling._

Kagome laughed, and I smirked. That might've annoyed her, but what she didn't know was that half the time I smirked, it wasn't cause I thought she was stupid. It was because I was trying not to smile, and I couldn't really repress the urge.

So I turned my smiles into smirks, instead, which I'm pretty damn good at.

.x.x.

When Kagome told me that the worst thing that ever happened in her life was her dad dying, I felt like a fucking piece of shit.

What the hell made me ask a question like that, anyway? I guess I'd been feeling braver… I'd been learning a lot about her, without giving away much important about myself, so I figured, what the hell? I would just ask it. It would be fine.

When Kagome looked away and muttered softly, "My dad dying," I wanted to kick myself.

"Sorry," I muttered, not sure what I was apologizing about, not really even sure if I meant it. Did I feel bad, sad, angry? What was I feeling? All I really knew was that I had asked a question, and it had reminded Kagome of something she didn't want to think about. It had reminded her of death. What kind of a fucking moron reminds somebody about their dead dad?

Me, apparently.

When Kagome looked up at me again, her eyes had that look in them—the look she tried to hide, but couldn't hide completely. The slight tightening, the slight shine, the slight sorrow… it made me feel sick and angry. Angry at myself, angry at her for making me angry at myself… and weirdly enough: angry at her dad.

Angry at him for dying and leaving her sad. No father should abandon their kid like that. But I sort of knew how she felt… my dad might be alive, but it's not like he was around much… the man might as well be dead, for all I care. It wouldn't make a difference.

I looked at Kagome and knew that if I told her something like that, she would be furious. That's one of her problems—she just doesn't get it, sometimes. She would tell me some shit like, "Your dad loves you, just talk it out, it'll be fine." Like that would help.

I hate it when people tell me that. But seeing her eyes, I realized that I could sort of understand why she would think the way she thought. Even if I didn't agree.

"Okay," I said, a little reluctant, knowing I would regret this but knowing no other way to make it up to her. "After that, I owe you a personal question. Go."

Kagome was visibly surprised by that; almost as surprised as I was. But I kept my face blank as she tilted her head, thought for a moment, and finally asked, "What's your biggest regret?"

Regret?

I stared at her, quirking an eyebrow. "Regret?" I repeated, just to make sure I'd heard right… and hoping I hadn't heard right.

"Yeah, stupid," she said, smirking. "Even arrogant idiots have regrets."

I stared at her, feeling the urge to growl, but I suppressed it. She wanted a regret? What the hell did I regret? What kind of a question is that? I barely ever even feel _guilty, _let alone actually regretsomething I did in the past. Fuck the past. I've done a hell of a lot of things, and there's no reason to let any of them bug me. After a few days, it's over and done with. I don't like dwelling on stuff… so I don't have any regrets. Why the fuck I would waste my time regretting something?

Then I realized, and suddenly I couldn't hold her gaze.

"Hey. You okay? You gonna answer or not?"

I heard her speak, and for a second I asked myself the same thing. For a second, I asked if I was really gonna tell her the truth… fuck it. There's no reason for me to tell the truth. Her question was crossing the line.

_"My dad dying…"_

I blinked, swore, glared at her, and said quickly, "Acting like an asshole around you."

I can't believe I told the goddamn fucking truth.

Just to make it better: _she hadn't heard me. _After I said it again, Kagome stared at me in shock, and I almost wanted to rip her eyes out when they widened and she said, "I… uh…"

"Oi! I said it! Now just ask a fucking question and get it done with," I snapped.

Wasn't it enough that I'd answered the fucking question? Wasn't it _more _than enough that I'd told her what I told her? She didn't have to go and make it harder by stuttering and looking all surprised. Stupid wench… it's not like I'm incapable of sincerity… sure I don't _like _it, but still….

"It's your turn," Kagome said, a little uncertain.

Slowly it dawned on me that I'd yelled at her, but I couldn't find it in me to feel bad. I'd told the truth… I'd told the truth… I'd said something I'd never thought I would say. I'd said something I'd thought I would _die _before I would say.

Well, I hadn't died yet, so maybe it wasn't as bad as I'd thought?

Analyzing her face, I realized she didn't seem angry. Just surprised.

That was good, cause I really didn't want to deal with an angry Kagome right now.

My mind began to wander as I looked at her, and my eyes traveled downward to the spot in the middle of her collarbone where her necklace rested. The necklace that I'd given her.

I frowned slightly and said, surprised but not knowing why the hell I _was _surprised, "You're still wearing my necklace."

She smiled, saying naturally, "Of course. If you were me, would you even leave the house without this? Would you go _anywhere _without it?" Voice softening, she added, "And besides… I love it."

I smiled almost reflexively at that, and then, catching myself, smirked and said, "Keh. You better."

Kagome's face hardened, and I almost knew what was coming before she said the word.

But I didn't have enough warning to jump on her.

"Sit."

Swearing like a sailor and spewing out as many violent threats I would never carry out as I could, I slammed face-first into the grass, wishing that I didn't like her, so I _could _carry out one or two of those brilliant, violent ideas.

When I raised my face from the grass to glare murderously at her, Kagome was grinning.

She'd better pray that I never get over her.

.x.x.

Our heads were inches apart when we laid down on our backs to stare up at the sky. It had been awhile since I'd been so relaxed with someone… relaxed enough to lie down, to talk to them, to throw my hands behind my head and stare up into the sky, when really my attention was focused on her.

It was a good feeling. Weird, but good.

"It's your turn to ask a question," she reminded me.

Nodding, I started to think. "Okay… uh…"

Kagome smirked at me. "Anytime."

Anytime, now….

Then I knew what I wanted to ask.

Smirking, I said, "All right. If you want me to ask a question so badly, then…"

Kagome remained silent as I stopped, voice trailing to a halt, suddenly unsure. Did I really want to ask this? _Could _I ask this? What if….

What if she actually answered?

"Oi, wench," I said, smirk gone. "Do you… like anybody now?"

The only thing I could do was wait and watch Kagome's face… turn blue.

"Excuse me," she growled, "While I choke on my Tic-Tac."

For some reason, something about that was really fucking funny.

I started cackling, grinning and not bothering to hide it at all. Kagome coughed, and when I stopped laughing and she stopped choking, we were left at a standstill.

She had to answer the question now… or risk a dare.

Smirking, I wondered if maybe, it wouldn't be so bad if she took the second choice.

"Couldn't you ask a different question?" she pleaded.

I rolled my eyes at that, and was about to tell her, "Not on your life." But then I noticed something about her face.

She was bright red.

So did that mean… she _did _like someone?

Eyes widening, I realized that that was exactly what it meant.

I wasn't sure how to feel about that—excited, I guess, but what if she liked someone else? "Wench, from your red face, it's obvious you like someone. So I'll change my question."

For a second—just a second—Kagome dared to look hopeful, and my smirk widened as I said mischievously, "_Who _do you like?"

Fucking perfect. I'm fucking awesome.

From the tone of my voice and my smirk, I knew it would look to her like I just wanted to torment her—and, okay, watching her squirm is sorta fun. But anyway, torturing Kagome wasn't the point of the question.

But she doesn't have to know that.

Kagome stared at me for a long time, and eventually I started to wonder what the hell was wrong with her. Was she still choking, or did she think that if she shut up for long enough, I'd forget about the question?

The second one, not on her life. I'm a lot of things, but I'm not an _amnesiac. _As for the first….

Well, I was reassured when she spoke.

"You've got to be kidding."

Her low voice made it obvious as hell that she wasn't in any mood for jokes. Unfortunately for her, _I _was.

"Nope," I said smugly. I was loving this more and more every goddamn second. "No way. So… truth or dare, wench?"

Kagome jumped to her feet, face beet-red, and I couldn't help but stare as she started to babble. "Neither! Idiot!"

It actually took some work for me to keep the smirk from sliding from my face—I couldn't let her know I was actually interested in her answer. I couldn't let her know that her panic was making my heart race….

Why the hell was she _embarrassed?_

"I—it's personal! Why would I tell you?"

I guess that was true… but so what if I'm a guy? Who the hell cares? I'm still her friend, right? So why wouldn't she tell me?

Then a thought entered my mind, and I had to force myself not to stiffen.

Maybe… she didn't trust me. That would be sorta harsh. I mean, sure, I used to make her life a living hell and be as much of an asshole as I could, but still! Fuck it, I hadn't done anything wrong lately… right?

So why wouldn't she trust me?

"You'll tell Miroku, and Miroku will tell the whole world and—"

Then I realized two things. First: SHE DOESN'T FUCKING TRUST ME! The stupid wench thinks I'm gonna tell _Miroku _who she likes… and that's why she doesn't want to tell me… and that probably means she doesn't fucking like _me. _Probably.

Second: Menomaru and Gatenmaru were standing right behind her.

The question was forgotten in an instant when I jumped up and spat, "What the _fuck _are you doing here?"

Kagome looked freaked out—so freaked out that she jumped almost a foot in the air. And I don't think she realized that I wasn't talking to _her _until she heard Gatenmaru speak.

"Careful, darling. Don't want to trip."

One day, that guy is gonna end up dead.

Hopefully missing a few limbs and organs.

Hopefully today.

.x.x.

**A/N: Well, guys… this is the last one :(. **

**But in two and a half weeks I will be back, with a new chapter to post, and I hope you liked these three chapters! REVIEW! Love you all, I miss you already! (Even though I'm sitting in my bedroom, surrounded by piles of clothes and suitcases. BUT STILL!)**

**BYE! REVIEW! **


	56. Knowing

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: I love you guys. I really do. I missed you all so much, and not updating this story for so long gave me heartache! And so here is a chapter of the story which it seems you all love so much for giving me SIXTY ONE REVIEWS!**

**P.S. Now that I know the chapters worked, I deleted the A/N. xD **

.x.x.

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX:KNOWING

I know about fighting.

There's some stuff I'm fucking hopeless at. Understanding people's feelings… working hard at school… working in general… I could go on, but it would sound pretty pathetic, so I'm not gonna. But no matter my screwups, there's always gonna be some stuff that I'm fucking _awesome _at.

Fighting is way up there.

I know a lot about fighting; I'm no amateur. It's not like I was raised in the ghettos or anything. I'm not gonna cry some sob story about how I had to fight over the last rotten banana in the garbage bin, and my dad abused my mom and my mom took it out on me and my brother died and—

Actually, I wouldn't mind that last one.

I'm a rich kid. I've always been a rich kid, and I always _will _be a rich kid. Sure, I don't get along with my so-called dad, but it's not like I go join gang fights just to piss him off. So, I'm not an underprivileged, impoverished child, I'm not a gang member, and I'm not a fully trained black belt or anything like that.

I'm a half demon. And it's a good thing that fighting comes naturally to me.

My fist was inches away from Gatenmaru's neck when Menomaru caught it. Bastard. "Look what we have here," he cooed. "The half breed and his bitch."

As if that would piss me off. As if that would make me lose my temper. As if that would hit a nerve! Who the hell did he think he was? Did he think I would care about words? Did he think I'd hiss and yell and—

But then I realized that I'd actually hissed, and I was actually mad.

I was fucking _furious._

"Don't call her a bitch," I growled, trying to make it sound like a warning.

_Don't call her a bitch, and don't come anywhere near us, or I'll take your hands, rip them off, and shove them down your goddamn throat. _

I might have finished the threat, too—these guys don't seem like the brightest, or at least Gatenmaru doesn't, so they might've needed me to spell it out for them. But then I realized that at the same time as I'd spoken, Kagome had snapped, "Don't call him a half breed!"

For just a second, I glanced at her to find that she was looking at me. But I didn't have time to think about anything. It was fighting time, growling time, and threatening time. No time for questions.

"Get the fuck away from her," I growled, turning back to the assholes, "Or my fist is gonna rip out your throats."

Menomaru and Gatenmaru laughed.

"Oooh, scary," Gatenmaru said, doubling over, gasping for breath between laughter. For a second, I sensed something—a change in atmosphere? But then I realized what it was—sheer, undeniable fury. Hatred. Coming from who? Menomaru? Gatenmaru?

No. No, it was coming from Kagome, and she wanted to rip their brains out of their skull just as much as I did.

Tensing, I prepared to leap. And I would've—if Kagome hadn't taken my hand. If her fingers hadn't slid gently between my claws and entwined in mine.

If the touch hadn't distracted me enough to send an entirely different kind of adrenaline racing through my bloodstream.

"Calm down," she muttered.

I had to wonder who she was talking to—me, or herself? Somehow I think it was both of us—I think she needed to guard herself from her fury just as much as she wanted me to stop fighting… but there was no way in hell I was gonna stop.

I squeezed her hand harder, suddenly thinking that we both needed the support.

"Aww, isn't this cute," Menomaru cooed. "You guys would make a great couple… except that we need your bitch."

Like hell you do. I snarled low in my throat before snapping, "Yeah, well, you also need a brain, but we can't all get what we want."

When Menomaru hissed, I didn't even bother hiding my smirk.

"Half breed," he spat. "Look, we don't have time to deal with you, so just step away from your girlfriend and it'll make everything easier."

I don't know what I would've done, but when Kagome stiffened, everything changed. When Kagome went still… almost as if she thought I was gonna let them fucking take her or something… everything changed. _I _changed.

"Over my dead fucking body," I growled.

My claws flexed, and I prepared to fight.

Menomaru grinned, stepping toward me. "What it is, it is. But it doesn't have to be over _her _dead body."

I couldn't believe the moron thought I would actually _fall _for that.

"I don't know what you want her for, but I'll die before I let you so much as _touch _her. Bring it, fucker."

And that was when Menomaru's fist collided with my head.

Strings of curses erupted from me, just like the pain erupted in my skull—I had to admit, he could punch _hard. _Not hard enough, though. Not hard enough to handle me.

Cause I'm Inuyasha fucking Takahashi, and it takes more than a little tap on the skull to blow my brains out.

A smirk rose to my face as my claws raked up both their chests… and when low hisses of pain escaped them as their fists made their way toward my stomach, my vision started to go red.

Let me tell you something about close-range fighting. When you're less than a foot apart, and everyone's going for each other's throats, you don't have time to talk. Not to taunt, not to spit, not to insult, not to swear, not to threaten. You don't have the time to concentrate on all that crap that you see on TV. Cause in real life, if you stop fighting for a second to tell them you're gonna mess up their face, _they'll _mess up _your _face.

All you have time for is _duck, jump, slash, punch, dodge, kick. _And though it might seem annoying not to be able to torment your opponents, you'll find that _actually _messing up their face is a hell of a lot more satisfying than _telling _them you're gonna do it.

Duck, jump, slash, punch, dodge, kick.

Duck, jump, slash, punch, dodge, kick.

When I fight, the world disappears. It's just me and my enemies, whether they be one enemy, two, three, or more. I don't care how many. I could take a hundred. I could take a thousand.

Duck, jump, slash, punch, dodge, kick.

Two? No fucking problem.

"Stop it! STOP IT!"

Somewhere, I knew Kagome was screaming for us to stop. Somewhere, I knew her voice was ringing uncharacteristically shrilly, infused with flecks of fear and fury. Somewhere, I knew her dark eyes were wide and her hands were in fists. Somewhere, I knew she was begging me to do something impossible.

She just doesn't get it sometimes.

Someday when she's better with her powers, she might be able to help me. But for now… leave it to the pros.

AKA, _me_.

Duck, jump, slash, punch—

FUCK!

When pain exploded in my stomach and I flew backwards at the force of Menomaru's heel, I could only swear and twist around in midair to land unstably on my feet near Kagome.

"Kagome, stay back," I growled, hoping she would get that I didn't have time to argue with her. "I'm gonna take care of them."

She didn't get it. In fact, I think she missed the point completely.

"No," she said quickly. "I bet somebody's already called the police. We have to get out of here before they come, or—"

Didn't she GET it? Was she that much of a fucking moron that she didn't get it? They wanted to _take _her. They were part of a goddamn _gang _that wanted who-the-hell-knows-what from her, and even if she did what they asked, it wouldn't end up good for any of us.

I didn't want to get kicked in the stomach again, and I sure as hell wouldn't let them take her.

"I'm not afraid of the goddamn fucking police!" I yelled, knowing my words were cruel and not caring. It was for her good. It's for her own good, it's for her own good, it's for her own good….

"So shut the fuck up and let me protect you!"

When Kagome's eyes tightened, I felt like I _had _been kicked in the stomach.

Stupid wench… making me feel bad at a time like this….

Why the hell should I feel guilty? I didn't have the fucking time to feel guilty for saying what I needed to say! It's not my fault she's fucking oversensitive!

But when her name slipped out, it didn't sound angry or impatient like it should have.

"Kagome…"

When I made eye contact with her, _real _eye contact, I knew that she was not only upset, but also _beyond _pissed.

"Fine!" Her voice was choked. "Go! Go get yourself killed! Just… just go!"

I watched numbly as she marched off to the baby and picked her up, cradling her to her chest, glaring half-heartedly at me. But I didn't have time for apologies. Hell, I didn't owe her an apology; I owed her an explanation, but that wasn't gonna happen until I was done with these idiots.

After one last look at her, I turned around and leapt back at Menomaru and Gatenmaru.

"Having a nice chat with your girlfriend—"

I punched Gatenmaru in the jaw before he could even finish the sentence.

_That _is why you don't talk during close-range fights.

Gatenmaru's eyes were mad with fury as he charged at me, roaring. I grabbed his shoulders and he grabbed mine, and we braced, each exerting the most force we fucking could, trying to make the other trip. Cause when one of us stumbled… that would be it.

My arms were shaking, but Gatenmaru's were shaking more. I smirked before realizing two things in quick succession. First, I was gonna win. That was obvious. Second… I'd made a mistake. Where the hell was Menomaru?

Then I knew, and swore.

Menomaru was just inches above me, probably coming down toward my head, and I couldn't do a thing. If I moved, Gatenmaru would drive me into the ground. If I didn't, my skull would get raked open. And you might think that nobody would kill someone in a public park, but when it comes to Darkest and Spider Blood… when it comes to stuff they want… there's nothing they won't do.

I'm fucked. But I didn't feel as fucked over when I realized that Menomaru was about to rip my skull open as when I saw Kagome running toward us.

What. The. _FUCK?_

Kagome wasn't looking at me when she flew toward me—and past me. Right past me and into Menomaru and Gatenmaru, leaving the three of us staring at her and wondering what the fuck she was thinking.

**Inuyasha, they're distracted, now get out and grab her and push her to the side!**

It's really creepy, how sometimes the voices in my head tell me to do exactly what I was planning on doing.

While Menomaru and Gatenmaru wondered what the hell was wrong with Kagome, I would _stop _wondering what the hell was wrong with Kagome and use their distraction to do this: escape the headlock, get Kagome out of the way, and turn around and punch Menomaru's and Gatenmaru's lights out.

But then Menomaru and Gatenmaru flew ten feet backwards, collided with some tree trunks, and fell to the ground, looking like fucking morons… thereby eliminating my plan.

For a second we gaped at them, letting what had just happened register and be processed. Menomaru and Gatenmaru, even more shocked than us, got to their knees. My blood raced and my stomach churned, and even though somehow I knew the fight was over, my vision was red. Even though Kagome was safe, I stared at her in angry shock. Kagome glared right back at me, like I knew she would, but our confusion made the glares half-hearted.

When I got my voice back, I said the first thing that came to mind.

"What the fuck?"

"I… I…" Kagome struggled for an explanation, and then twitched a little, looking down at her chest. "Inuyasha," she said, as if realizing something. "It's the ward."

For a second I was surprised, but then it hit me: she was right. I looked down a little at the ward… concentrating really, really hard to _just _look at the ward… not anything else….

And as I looked at the still slightly glowing gemstone, I saw she was right and couldn't help but feel a little smug.

"Keh." A grin stretched across my face. "Looks like it saved your life."

_And mine._

Kagome said softly, "Guess so."

I smirked when I saw the bozos trying to get up. They looked like they were drunk—and it takes a LOT for a demon to get drunk, so you don't see that too often, and it was pretty fucking funny to watch. "What the… what the fuck…" eyes narrowing, Menomaru glared and spat, "The bitch has a fucking ward!"

"What?" Gatenmaru's eyes landed on Kagome's chest and he swore. "Goddamnit… what do we do now?"

"You get the fuck away from us," I spat, stepping forward. "If you know what's good for you."

Gatenmaru took a step forward, and it was probably meant to be aggressive, but he was so wobbly, I might've had to stifle a laugh if I wasn't so pissed. "Why you little—"

"Stop it," Menomaru growled. "We've got better things to do than fight with half breeds."

Gatenmaru, after a reluctant nod, muttered, "We're not done with you."

"Of course not," Menomaru said, turning cool eyes to us. "But we're done for now. Let's go."

They were leaving. Just like that? They were fucking running away?

"O-oi! Hey! Where the fuck are you going?" I demanded, stepping toward them as they walked away. Goddamn cowards… who the hell did they think they were?

Kagome grabbed my arm, restraining me. Not like she could've restrained me, but it got my attention enough to remind me of my anger.

"Let them go. There's no point. Let's get out of here."

Those words were the final straw, and suddenly I exploded.

"Don't you tell me what to do!" I hissed, whirling around to face her. She needed to know how serious this was, and it was my job to make an impression on her. If Kagome had no concept of how stupid she had just been… then I would teach her.

My vision ran red again, but I took no notice. I barely noticed anything as my clawed hands grabbed her arms, pinning them to her sides so that she couldn't move or resist. I barely noticed my claws elongating or my fangs growing. All I knew was my anger. All I knew was that she'd done something wrong, and she had to know _why. _

My eyes burned into hers, our faces drew nearer, and Kagome stared at me, seeming very close to afraid.

Good… she needed to be afraid… she needed to know….

I was too angry to wonder whose voice that was… and if it was really _mine. _

"You fucking idiot," I growled. "What did you do that for? Why didn't you leave it well alone like I fucking _told _you to?"

"I'm sorry!" she snapped. Obviously she wasn't scared into silence, and something in me, something that might've scared even _me, _WANTED her to be scared into silence. If she could still yell, then she didn't understand… she had to understand….

She had to understand, she didn't understand, I had to _make _her understand. That was all I understood through my red-flooded mind, that was all I saw through my scarlet eyes. Through the haze, I couldn't feel my claws against her skin. I couldn't feel her trembling beneath my hands.

"I didn't want you to get hurt," she muttered. "And besides, I saved your life."

"No you fucking didn't!" I snarled. "_I _was gonna save _your _life. You almost got yourself killed."

Rage flaring up, she started, "Well, thanks to the ward, obviously, I wasn't going to get ki—"

"YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT."

Stupid wench… she still didn't know… she had to know….

Crimson was my blood, crimson was my heart and soul, crimson was my mind and body. Crimson was the world through my burning eyes, the world seen through veils of blood which enclosed my sight….

Crimson were my words as they dripped rage….

As if in a daze, I leaned forward, closer toward her. And in my state of heightened senses, I could feel _everything. _The warmth of her skin, the beating of her heart, her intoxicating scent as it enveloped me… drugged me… it had never been this strong, nor this vivid….

It was amazing. And I almost felt high until I remembered how angry I was.

I pushed her against the tree, hearing her breath catch. "You forgot it would protect you," I muttered. "I forgot, too. You weren't thinking about anything when you ran in, and if you hadn't been wearing the ward, you would've died. Fuck it, Kagome."

_Who is this talking…? I don't talk like this… what the hell is wrong with me…?_

In my mind's eye, I saw her. Saw her lying on the ground… saw her ripped to pieces at my feet… saw her dripping crimson blood. The blood swirled about my toes, seeped into the pores in my skin, clouded my mind with red fog. It kept coming, coming in rivers, in waves, in floods, in rain, until I could barely see… until I could barely hear her breathing, until I could barely feel her skin beneath my palms.

A deep inhalation… somebody, somewhere, took a breath. Somebody, somewhere, muttered, "I'm sorry." But it couldn't have been her… she was dead… she was dead at my feet, her blood choking my heart and soul and mind and body… she was dead… she was dead….

Another breath, this time taken by both of us, and the blood washed away.

And she was there. Intact, eyes sad, body stiff. _Alive. _Only after I saw her again, only after I returned to my senses, did I feel her presence rushing back to me to refill the gaping wound which she had left.

_Holy shit… what was that?_

"I can say I'm sorry for being careless, and for worrying you, but… I can't say I'm sorry for worrying _about _you," she said.

I went still at that, and for a second, just a second, the red faded long enough for me to think about those words.

She worries about me… she cares about me….

We were silent for several minutes, and I didn't dare break it. If I moved… if I moved, I would lose control. If I moved, the red veils would hang over my eyes and crimson smoke would invade my mind….

But we were so close… just a little closer couldn't hurt….

So I moved, and I felt the smoke come back. I felt it wrap around me and wrap around her, and there was nothing I could do except watch. I watched my hands slide down her arms, I felt her ribs underneath my claws. And in this state, I had no trouble hearing her breath catch in her throat.

The sound of her nervousness made me want to be even closer, to press my body against hers, and all I could do was watch myself lean down, watch her lips draw closer and closer to mine. She looked up at me, as dazed as I felt. And it hit me that in this moment, neither of us were in control. She, subdued by her confusion, me, subdued by….

One of my hands gently brushed the small of her back, and I felt her freeze beneath me. Not in fear, though… not even in nervousness anymore. We were both caught in a kind of spell, both helpless as one of my claws caressed her chin….

And then our eyes met.

When that happened, it was like she pulled me out of myself, pulled me back _into _myself. The crimson smoke faded, and as it did, I heard, somewhere, a vague but familiar voice.

**See? It's not scary… she doesn't mind…**

The voice faded into whispers, and then it was gone, and I stared at her in complete and utter shock, only able to think one thing: _what the hell just happened…?_

Our lips were centimeters apart… our foreheads almost touching. Just a little closer and… just a little closer… and….

I could kiss her.

In that instant, before I could change my mind, I made a split second decision.

What the hell? If she didn't want to, she could just push me away. It was okay. I was in control, now. It would be okay, because it was _me _making the decision, _me _who would and could back off if she told me to… it was okay.

When I couldn't hold back for another second, it was _me _who leaned down toward her lips and put my hands on her waist.

A shrill scream pierced the air.

We jumped apart rapidly, me with a simple train of thought: _FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK SHIT SHIT FUCK DAMN SHIT FUCK FUCK FUCK…_

I could go on, but I don't fucking feel like it.

Once I'd gotten over my initial mental swearing rampage, I looked down to where the sound was coming from—Kagome's arms.

More appropriately, the baby _in _her arms.

I think… we actually… _squished _the baby.

There are so many things wrong with that._ So many fucking things._

"Shit," I growled, stepping away from Kagome, trying to come to terms with what had just happened. What the hell _had _just happened? My memory was a blur, my mind was racing… the last clear memory I had was when I'd started fighting with Menomaru and Gatenmaru, and I knew what that meant.

Sometime during the fight, my demon had taken over.

I ran a hand through my hair, not sure whether to panic or try to think things through. Okay, my demon had taken over… but it hadn't hurt Kagome. It hadn't even _tried _to hurt Kagome.

Instead… it….

**I was teaching you a lesson.**

_You were being a fucking moron. What'd you do that for? You could've scared her!_

**She's not the one I scared.**

_You didn't fucking scare me, alright? But you… _I tried not to sound like a child when I finished, _You didn't have to… why did you make me see that?_

He knew what that meant, but he didn't answer right away. With every second of silence, I grew more and more furious. What kind of an asshole gets into your head and makes you see… makes you see….

I could still see it. Her broken body.

Who the hell makes you see _that_ and then doesn't give you a fucking explanation?

**I don't owe you a **_**fucking explanation**_**. **Something about the coolness in his voice unnerved me. **That… was another lesson.**

He said nothing more.

So tell me: what did I learn from that 'lesson?' That it sucks to see people you care about bleed to death? Big fucking surprise.

My fists clenched, and I started to shake.

I didn't want to think about that anymore—whatever my demon had been trying to show me by making me hallucinate, I don't care. He's a fucking jackass who's high on bullshit. End of story.

But then… what about the _other _lesson? The second one? The one where….

I shook my head a little, so stunned that I couldn't even think of an insult.

I heard Kagome cooing to the baby, and looked at her as she stroked its bald head. What should I do… what should I do… pretend it never happened? Just… not mention it?

**Coward.**

I bristled a little at that. _I'm not a goddamn coward, alright? _

**You're afraid.**

_Am not._

**Stop talking like a four year old.**

_I'M NOT FUCKING AFRAID! AND I DON'T FUCKING TALK LIKE A FOUR YEAR OLD!_

There was silence for a minute before my demon said, with unmistakable amusement, **Well, I can't argue with the second one.**

Kagome's heart was racing, but I couldn't tell why. Because of the scream? Because of what had come before it? And was she excited or scared?

Damn it. Damn it, I scared her….

_Nice. You went and scared her._

**I did NOT.**

Knowing it would be pointless to argue, I shut up.

"Oi, Kagome," I growled, not able to stand the silence anymore. "She's been quiet for a minute and a half."

Kagome nodded, saying, "Yeah," but I didn't know if she'd really listened to me, cause she kept stroking the baby's head. _Petting _it… like it was a goddamn golden retriever or something.

Wake up call, Kagome. You can't pet plastic. It doesn't _feel._

"Hey," she said suddenly, ceasing the motion of her hand, looking up at me as if she'd just made the most amazing discovery in the world. Well, I was all suspense, cause I had no idea whatsoever what had her so amazed.

Then she said it, and my eyes almost—_almost—_widened.

"You… did you… did you call me Kagome?"

Aw hell. I _did _call her Kagome, didn't I?

Kagome stared at me, but for the moment, I had no answer for her. Stunned into silence, I chewed on that idea for a little. The idea that I had said her name… and the idea that it had felt _right. _

The idea that it had slipped off my tongue with ease and grace. The idea that it felt good. The idea that it felt… it felt….

It felt like a small universe had fallen off my shoulders, and I hadn't even noticed the weight until it was gone.

That was how it felt.

_Why was it so easy…? Why is it so easy now, when for all this time, I'd been trying so hard NOT to say her name? Why is it different?_

In the beginning, dubbing Kagome "Wench" had had one primary purpose: to annoy the hell out of her, and to make her hate me. To make her want to stay away from me, to make myself seem like someone undesirable and rude. To impress upon her the fact that I had no interest in her, and she, to me, was just another girl. A wench.

To impress upon her a thousand other lies, which I'm beginning to think she really believed.

That had been the purpose of her obnoxious nickname, in the beginning… but maybe… maybe that wasn't the only purpose?

I'm proud of you.

_Shut the fuck up; I'm having an epiphany._

And then, suddenly, it hit me. I'm a fucking moron. Of course that wasn't the only purpose.

I had finally figured out the reason why it had been so hard to say her name… and why it came so naturally now.

Intelligence is awesome. For those of you haven't checked it out: TRY IT.

"What the hell are you talking about, Kagome?"

I kept my face carefully blank while I said that, and while I said that, I made my decision. Now it was time to gauge her reaction, and hope for the best.

Kagome blinked.

"What? What the hell are _you _talking about?"

Yep. She was confused. _Definitely _confused. And for some reason, her confusion gave me courage. For some reason, I felt like here beneath the tree, we were having an incredible role reversal. Now it was _me _in charge, _me _with the knowledge, _me _knowing who and what and when and where and why and how. And knowing… gave me power. Knowing gave me confidence.

Knowing let me frown as if _she _were the crazy one and say, "Hey… you okay, Kagome?"

She gawked, and I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smirking.

"Inuyasha… repeat that one more time."

I was gonna be doing a _lot _of biting. I swear, because of this girl, I'm losing cheek cells by the millions.

"What the hell do you mean?" I demanded, raising an eyebrow, congratulating myself on my brilliance.

"You called me Kagome," she said obstinately. "_Again. _Why?"

Her obstinate refusal to be confused made me grin, and as the grin spread, I knew it was time to drop the façade.

"As far as I knew, it was your name," I said, smirking.

Kagome looked like she was beginning to doubt her _own _sanity—and that is a hellof a funny expression.

I smirked, knowing exactly what I was doing and exactly what to do. "Kagome," I said, slowly, like I might talk to a five year old. Except I'd probably talk to a five year old without the smirking… huh….

Aw, how the hell would I know, anyway? I don't talk to five year olds. They're annoying.

I continued, "I think you might want to see a doctor. You've got a case of… what the hell is it called… amnesia?"

And then, _finally_, she seemed to catch on.

"You _moron,_" she choked out, leaning against my shoulder. Just that touch—her forehead against my bare arm—made all kinds of feelings explode beneath my skin. My heart beat faster, and I ached to touch her; my fingers ached to explore her skin, my lips her face….

She interrupted my fantasy by saying, "I don't know what you're playing at, but you know what? I don't care. I don't care at all."

And that was exactly the response I'd hoped for.

I laughed, too, and I don't know what the hell drove me to do this, but I wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her close. Holding her like she was my girlfriend, holding her like we were together….

**You wish.**

_Hell yeah._

At least he admits it.

It felt like I was… coming clean, I guess. Calling her Kagome, admitting I had feelings for her, admitting I wanted us to be together. Hell, I wanted to kiss her until she was pulling the roots of my hair out of my fucking scalp. I wanted to hold her close and never let go, I wanted her to kiss me back until we couldn't breathe….

Was that what my demon had been trying to show me? How much I wanted that? That I needed to take action to get it?

But… but what if Kagome didn't feel how I felt?

Before I could start to trespass on those ugly grounds, the blaring of a shrill alarm struck my ears.

_What the hell… _

Then I saw them.

_FUCK!_

In that instant when I saw police cars rounding the corner, life (AKA: OH MY FUCKING GOD I HAVE MY ARM AROUND KAGOME'S WAIST, I ALMOST KISSED HER, AND I'M GOING TO JAIL FOR TRYING TO KILL A FEW MURDEROUS JACKASSES WHO WOULD BE BETTER OFF DEAD ANYWAY) came throttling toward me and punched me in the nose. It was sort of like throwing yourself off a cliff and landing in ice cold water. Doing a _belly flop. _And just to top it off, you didn't have your nose plugged, either, so to add insult to injury, about a ton of salty, ice cold water has just rushed up your nostrils into your brain.

Way to go, jackass.

"Aw, shit," I muttered. Feeling my face burn up, I stepped away from Kagome, avoiding her eyes.

"I told you," she growled—a surprisingly impressive growl, by the way. "I _told _you."

"Fuck… uh… come on!"

And then I pulled off one of those moves that only I could pull off. One of those moves that would get me and Kagome out of there _and _prove I was a genius at the same time.

Unfortunately, Kagome wasn't prepared for my brilliance, so when I suddenly flung her onto my back, she was pretty freaked out.

"What—what are you—whaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?"

I took off running as fast as I could, grumbling, "Goddamn it… stupid, noisy, obnoxious, loud wench…." Maybe she sort of had an excuse to be a little surprised. I mean, sure, I'm a half demon… a _fast _half demon… and I just flung her onto my back and am now running at top speed, jumping across store roofs, but still. I thought that screaming her head off when the police were after us wasn't really the best move, considering our situation.

"Stop it. Stop it. STOP I—"

"You want to face the police instead?" I growled.

I, for one, would die and go to hell before letting myself get taken downtown. For one thing, IT WAS SELF FUCKING DEFENSE.

And because I hang out with Miroku too much and have learned how people like him think: no, I do not mean it was defense against _fucking yourself. _

So, yeah. Self defense. And that's all wonderful, but I wouldn't be able to prove that it was self defense with no evidence except the BLOOD ON MY HANDS. So, okay, I've screwed up a few times in my life—nothing major, but I HAVE screwed up. And I might screw up in the future. So why get dragged into jail for something so fucking stupid?

"Maybe I was wrong," she moaned. "Maybe they're nice—they might understand if we talk it out with them—"

I turned my head just a little; enough to let her see me raise an eyebrow and give her a smirk, but _not _enough for me to miss the next roof I was leaping onto and fall five stories to the pavement.

"Kagome, if you think they'll understand the situation if we just 'talk it out with them,' then you're even crazier than I thought you were," I said, allowing the smirk to invade my voice as well as my face.

If the police had caught us, they would have seen a half demon and a girl running away from the scene of the crime. And—even better—they would've seen _blood _on the half-demon's claws. And in most people's heads, BLOOD + HALF DEMON = COLD-BLOODED MURDERER.

No matter how insanely hot said half demon may be.

So, if they'd caught us, we would be dragged down into the cells for questioning, and they would've learned that Kagome had done nothing and kept her as a witness—and then they would've learned who _I _was. And then my mom would come down to the station, and probably even my _dad, _and I would have to listen to them yell about how they were paying my way out of juvie.

Being the son of the wealthiest man in Japan _does _have its perks. Namely, that if I happened to get some idiots' blood on my hands for the purposes of defending myself and a friend, it wouldn't be too hard to persuade the police that it was in self defense. But that still wouldn't make me feel any less pissed while I had to pretend to look ashamed while my dad hollered at me. Hell, even _Sesshomaru _would probably show up for a good laugh.

Kagome's outburst stopped my mental rambling.

"CRAZY?" Her voice cracked slightly as I jumped down off the roof, landing neatly on the sidewalk, not stopping my sprint. "I'm not—"

But then, for whatever reason, Kagome shut up.

I could almost hear herself admitting that she was crazy in her head, and that mental image made me laugh. A giggle escaped Kagome's throat, and soon, raucous laughter filled the air, both of us choking on our breath as we tried to breathe between laughter. Eventually, we were laughing just to laugh, laughing because of what had just happened, laughing because of the sheer absurdity of it all.

When we were on a quieter street, I slowed, a grin wide across my face.

"That was… that was…." she choked out.

"Awesome," I finished.

To my surprise, she said breathlessly, "Yeah." A smile twitched on my lips at that, and she continued, "Well, not the fighting part. But everything else. Everything else was…."

For some reason, she trailed off, almost meekly. I frowned at that, and set her down carefully, turning around to face her. "What?"

What was she thinking about? Why was she….

_Holy shit. She's blushing._

Weird, how those pink cheeks told me all I needed to know. Also weird? The fact that blushes are contagious.

At that moment, the baby doll made a small sob. Grimacing, I demanded, "What the hell does it want now?"

Why the hell was it crying? If it was gonna pick a time to cry its fucking eyes out, you would've thought it would be while we were JUMPING FIVE STORIES IN THE AIR_. _

Not _after._

"Don't know," she replied, seeming as clueless as I did. Strangely, though, she didn't seem as _annoyed _as I did. More… curious.

"It's not crying, though," she continued. "It's sort of… it's sort of…."

Sort of _what? THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME, FOR HELL'S SAKE!_

As far as I could tell, it was crying. But then it made the sound again, and listening closer, paying more attention to the sound itself instead of how much it pissed me off, I realized that it wasn't exactly a sob. More like a combination… of a sob… and a burp.

When Kagome spoke, I gaped.

"She's laughing," she said, almost laughing from shock herself. "She's _laughing!_"

I looked at the baby and realized that she was right.

The baby… in her tape-recorded, tinny way… was actually laughing.

Kagome stared at the baby, laughing openly, cuddling her to her chest. I don't know what about the baby made it worm its way into Kagome's heart, but beneath the hard plastic and the crying and the diaper-changing, I guess there's something, cause Kagome looked like she was _shining._

Yeah. Fucking _shining._

"Hey, Kagome. It's just a baby doll," I reminded her, thinking she needed a wake-up call.

Kagome was undeterred by my realism, and when she cried, "But _she's laughing!_", at first I didn't know what to think. Had she really become so attached to the doll? Did its laughing really make her so happy?

Hell, maybe she's just crazy.

But I still had to look at the baby, just to check, just to see if I could see what Kagome saw. At first, all I saw was a smooth face. Blank eyes, made to look shiny. Pointy ears, artificially flushed cheeks… no warmth, no heartbeat, no scent.

But when I looked up at Kagome again, and when I looked back down to the baby, I could _almost _see what she was seeing. Yes, a plastic doll, to be sure… but a _happy _plastic doll.

A happy… baby… girl… PLASTIC DOLL.

When I noticed I was smiling, I wondered whether it was because of the baby's laughing, my own idiocy, or Kagome's weirdness. Maybe a little of both.

"Inuyasha," she said suddenly.

"Yeah?"

Grinning sheepishly, she said, "We still need to name her."

I smirked at that. "I wonder if taking care of a nameless runt for two weeks makes us bad parents."

Kagome grimaced. "I think we both know the answer to that one," she said wryly. "But hey… babies can't hold grudges, right?"

"Of course not," I muttered. "They can't _remember _things."

Giving me a pointed glare, Kagome continued, "I was saying, we should make it up to her."

I raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"Let's name her. Now."

The resolve in her voice surprised me. It sounded like she had decided not to name a plastic doll, but to conquer all of Japan with an army of teenagers armed with sharpened pencils.

But because I'm just that kind of guy, I smirked and said, "That's good with me."

Hell, I like stabbing people with pencils.

"So," she said, "What kind of name are you thinking?"

Names… I really didn't care that much. It was just a doll. "Uh, I don't know. Sakura?"

I wrinkled my nose as I said it, praying to god that Kagome would say no. What was wrong with me… it was bad enough that I had to listen to the kid cry every day; it would be too much if I had to call her a fucking _cherry blossom_, too.

"No," she said, shaking her head with vigor. "Everybody names their kid something like that. Besides, it's too _flowery._"

Smirking, I muttered, "I wonder why."

Kagome rolled her eyes, but I saw her lips twitch. She scrutinized the baby for a moment and then, out of the blue, said, "Shinju."

I stared, raising an eyebrow. "_Shinju?_"

Shrugging, Kagome said, "She looks like a Shinju. Something wrong with that?" she added, smirking at me. "What, suddenly you care what the baby's name is?"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her teasing. "Feh. Does it mean anything?"

Blushing a little, she admitted, "Uh… well… it's either _pearl _or _cold and unfeeling._"

Huh. Like Sesshomaru.

I'm not sure if it was her words, her expression, or the fucked-up comparison I just made, but something about what she said was _really _funny. "Stupid wench," I said, rolling my eyes, laughing.

"Hey!" Kagome objected. "I thought we were done with wench."

My eyes glowed as I put on my best smirk. "But I wasn't calling you _wench._ I was calling you a stupid wench. It wasn't your name, it was an insult."

For a second Kagome gawked, probably trying to make sense of my logic and decide whether or not to take offense. But then, as if deciding it wasn't worth it, she laughed and shook her head. "Whatever you say, Inuyasha."

And that's the way I like it.

**You're a flirt.**

_I'm not a flirt! Why the hell would I flirt?_

**You are. And you do.**

…

_You're just saying this bullshit to piss me off, aren't you?_

**Absolutely.**

With that thought in mind, and with our newly named _Shinju, _I led Kagome back to my car… opening the passenger door for her, not making a big deal out of it, acting like I didn't even care. And it seemed just like it had before, except for one thing.

This time, I think she noticed.

.x.x.

**A/N: SIXTY-ONE REVIEWS, PEOPLE! SIXTY ONE FREAKING REVIEWS! :D No amount of emoticons could describe my happiness! **

**Give it up for k, Roses Kiss, BGuate224, Jennaha11, purduepup, Tomatosoup inc., beautiful-surreal, ninjagurl512, mayalewis16, HelloGoodbye, Inu-Yasha lov3r1, kokoronagomu, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, Skittle Dog, kagome, Sakura-Suzumura, xbeautyxxisxxlifex, Bunnyz, Lily180, Daichilover, angel2798, anonymous, i-rock-101, Sango'sbestfriend445, bear lover, ai, and xXthenextbookwormXx for reviewing! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! The next chapter will be up in- can anyone guess? FOUR DAYS GIVE OR TAKE xD. The next chapter is already written, so if I get a lot of reviews for this one, it could be up as early as tomorrow!**

**See you soon! :)**


	57. Mothers Will Be Mothers

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hey guys! Hooray for quick updates! Read and review!**

.x.x.

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN: MOTHERS WILL BE MOTHERS

Have you ever had one of those moments when suddenly, life rushes up and socks you in the face?

Yes, not only _hits _you, but punches you with such viciousness that your nose breaks and you get a concussion and head trauma. Punches you with steel knuckles and such sheer _maliciousness _that you swear: life is out to get you. And while you're recovering from the shock, while you're trying to recover your wits and pick up your brains where life has left them scattered on the ground, while you're trying to piece back together your feelings and emotions and thoughts and opinions and identity, you pray to whatever gods you may or may not believe in that life isn't actually trying to do you in… that you're just really, really paranoid.

I've never felt like that. In fact, watching the world turn to blurs outside Inuyasha's speeding car, I realized that considering recent events, I felt pretty good.

Then again, it's hard to tell. I'm still suffering head trauma.

"Hey."

If you need a recap for what "recent events" I just mentioned, I'll fill you in. Though seeing as YOU'RE not the one who may or may not be suffering head trauma, I don't see why you'd need to be told again. But… because I'm nice and because it would be dumb to leave you in the dark… I'll tell you what occurred on my family outing with Inuyasha and our daughter-doll.

In short: Menomaru and Gatenmaru showed up and threatened us, my ward blasted them ten feet back into trees, they left after making it clear they weren't done, and Inuyasha and I almost kissed.

At least, I think that's what it was. The last time we were in a position like that, his claws had been digging into my skin and he'd been about to _kill _me, so forgive me for being a little confused.

Oh, and let's not forget that Inuyasha is now calling me—

"KAGOME."

No matter how spaced out I am, that name… _my _name… from his lips will always catch my attention. I just can't get used to it.

"Yeah?" I asked, readjusting the baby in my lap, wondering whether we should've gotten her a car-seat.

"Earth to Kagome," Inuyasha growled, smirking at me. "I know you like hanging out on your native planet, but we kinda need you back."

Rolling my eyes, I shot back a smirk of my own. "I'm touched," I teased. "So, now that I'm back to Earth… what are we going to do now?"

The subtext there: am I going home or are we hanging out?

In all honesty, I didn't know which one I wanted.

If I went home, then… I would go home. It would be my turn with the baby, and I'd join Rin and finish my homework, getting up every hour to go change the baby's diaper or feed her or play with her or listen to her cry incessantly. Or… and this was delightfully creepy… listen to her giggle. And I'd probably end up describing my whole day with Inuyasha to Rin, too, unless I decided to break our no-secrets policy.

But there were good things about going home, the most prominent being that it was a place in which I could think.

I couldn't think about Inuyasha, about what had almost happened, and about my confusing questions and fears and hopes, when said inuhanyou was about a foot away from me. And not thinking about it—_not _facing what had almost happened, _not _facing the disappointment I felt that it had only ALMOST happened, _not _facing the consequences if it _had _happened—was proving to be more difficult and nerve-racking than looking my fears in the eye.

"Keh. Whatever you want, we—Kagome."

Unable to resist, I smiled to myself. Apparently old habits take some time to die completely.

"I'll stay," I said, not knowing why I said it, and not daring to look at Inuyasha to see his reaction. "Did you have anything you were planning on doing?"

When his face went blank, I knew that he had no such plans.

I couldn't help but smirk, feeling a little smug that I, for one, _did _have an idea. But so as not to prolong the suspense, I suggested nonchalantly, as if it had only just occurred to me, "Hey, how about we go to Totosai and get your sword fixed?"

Very slowly, a wide, gleeful, sadistic grin spread across Inuyasha's face.

"Hell, yeah," he said. "We owe that old coot a long chat."

Smirks—along with smiles, laughter, blushes, viruses, and certain rashes—are among the most contagious things in the world.

.x.x.

"KAGOME!"

The second we stepped through the door to Inuyasha's house, his mom attacked me.

"It's GREAT to see you!"

After her arms had relaxed enough for me to breathe, I scoped the situation and realized that she was not in fact attacking me, but _hugging _me.

It was a good thing I hadn't punched her.

"You too, Mrs. Takahashi," I said, smiling back, extricating myself from her grasp.

_Wow, _she was strong.

She looked between Inuyasha and I for a moment… Inuyasha… me… Inuyasha… me… Inuyasha… me. It was almost as if she were analyzing us… like she was watching us, reading our faces. _Deciphering _us. It was just a little creepy. But considering that Inuyasha's mom is pretty much the goddess of kind-and-good-natured-ness, I was about 95% sure that she wasn't planning our demise behind her curious smile.

When she turned back to me again, she smiled, quirked her head to the side, and asked as if it were a perfectly normal thing to ask, "Do you two still hate each other?"

This woman doesn't beat around the bush, does she?

I blushed furiously, not daring to look at Inuyasha, even though I wanted to see his reaction. Forcing a smile, I said wryly, "I don't think so, but I guess you can never be too sure."

And you certainly can never be surer than _this._

When the blush had faded, I concentrated on Inuyasha's mom's smile… which was becoming curiously smug. In fact, smug wasn't exactly the right word for it. In a way, it was sort of… _Rin-esque._

And then it hit me.

OH MY GOD SHE KNOWS I LIKE HIM!

"Huh… well… uh…" I stuttered.

The blush was back in full force now, which probably did not improve my case. But she only smiled broader and said, "In that case, call me Izayoi."

Huh?

"…Okay…" I said warily. Was this some kind of trap? Was she trying to decide if I was good enough for Inuyasha or not? I mean, of _course _I'm good enough for him… apart from the fact that he's filthy rich and we would be dirt poor without his grandma. But who cares about that, right? This is the twenty-first century! Money doesn't matter!

That came out wrong…

Anyway. Of course I'm good enough for Inuyasha. I _know _I'm good enough for Inuyasha. Sure, he has money, but I have… tact? Kindness? Compassion?

Okay, that's not really fair to him.

But the point is, although I knew I wasn't below him, I wasn't sure how high a standard his _mother _would have.

Izayoi… to call or not to call her _Izayoi_. That is the question.

I took one last look at her smile, and when I could not detect any deception, I smiled back.

"Sure, Izayoi."

The blush was gone.

Kagome has triumphed.

Izayoi grinned, hugged me again, and turned back to Inuyasha… alarming us both with a loud, "HI, SWEETIE!"

Inuyasha gagged.

"Hey mom," he muttered, pushing her away when she turned her death embrace on him—I couldn't tell whether it was from embarrassment or fear of death. But then, to my surprise, he smirked at her. "Mom? How much coffee did you have?"

When Izayoi's grin widened, I started to fear for her sanity. And then she did something which shocked me even _more_… and confirmed my suspicions that she had multiple personalities.

She calmed down.

"None," she said smugly. "I was just messing with you guys. So, how are you? What have you been up to?"

W.T.F?

"Aw, come on, Mom," Inuyasha groaned. He glanced at me, smirked a little, and said, "Sorry. She does this sometimes when she meets new people."

I frowned at him, then at her. "But we've met before."

That made Inuyasha frown, too. "Huh…" he turned a questioning glance toward his mom, raising an eyebrow.

She smiled brightly. "Well, I think it's sort of like I'm meeting you for the first time. The situation is entirely different."

"So," I said hesitantly, deciding not to question that, "Why do you pretend you're hyped up on coffee?"

I'm pretty sure that's a fair question.

"It's a test."

I KNEW it!

I almost gagged, and Inuyasha, a little alarmed, gawked at me and said, "Oi, are you okay?"

Nodding, trying to catch my breath, I gasped, "Yeah. It's nothing."

Nothing except the fact that Inuyasha's _mother _is _testing _me. Yeah. Nothing major.

"Don't let her freak you out," Inuyasha said, grinning at his mom. "There's no point trying to make sense of her tests. And it's not only you—she did it to Sango and Miroku, too."

"Oh," I said, surprised. So… it _wasn't _a potential girlfriend test? Then what wasit?

"So, what have you been doing?" Izayoi asked.

We glanced at each other, made a silent decision, smiled, and said, "We were at the park."

Izayoi smiled brightly. "That's great! So, what are you guys going to do now?"

"We were thinking we'd go see this guy who can fix my sword," Inuyasha said, leaving out the part about how we were also going to _interrogate _him. Possibly by torture. "So we needed to stop here and get it."

Izayoi smiled at him. "You're making a good decision," she said.

"Keh."

He rolled his eyes, but smiled at her. Then, turning to me, he said, "Come on, Kagome. Let's go get that old piece of junk."

"Wait!"

Inuyasha and I turned around when Izayoi grabbed my arm. "I want to talk to Kagome," she said. "You go get the sword. Take your time."

"Okay," I said hesitantly. "Uh, Inuyasha… I guess… I'll see you in a few minutes?"

It almost seemed like there was a pause before he agreed. It almost seemed, for a second, like he was _hesitant _to agree. Like the eyes which landed on his mother were eyes of suspicion, like he didn't _want _to leave me alone with her while he wasn't there.

Except it didn't seem like he was protecting me_. _Instead, it seemed like he was worried about what would be discussed.

But he didn't have a choice, so he nodded, said he would be back in a few minutes, and ran off to get his sword.

When he was gone, Izayoi smiled at me, gesturing to the couch. "Let's sit for a little."

No sooner had we sat down than she turned to me, smiled knowingly, and said, "Do you like my son?"

Her legs were up on the couch, just like mine… like we were little kids, sitting together. _Sisters. _And the familiarity was what gave me the courage to whisper, "How did you know?"

She smirked.

"I thought so," she said. "I was picking up different vibes from you two this time than the last time."

"Is it that obvious?" I groaned.

She smiled, shaking her head, laughing lightly, as if she couldn't hear my heart racing. Which I guess she couldn't. "Not to him," she replied, smiling. "But it wouldn't hurt you to make it more obvious."

I gaped at her. "_More _obvious? I feel like I slip enough as it is. I… I… I just don't know."

She nodded in understanding. "Last time I saw you, I think you hated him, so I can understand why you would be confused."

At the slight accusation in her tone, I got defensive. "The feeling was mutual," I said indignantly. "He made it pretty clear that I was like a fly buzzing in his ear."

Izayoi sighed, the smile fading. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I suppose I should apologize for him, seeing as he probably never will."

"He did!" I frowned. "Well, sort of. I mean, he didn't say he was _sorry _for being a jerk, but he told me he regretted it. And he's apologized to me before, so if he thought he needed to… which he doesn't… he probably would."

For a moment I was so lost in my own thoughts that I didn't notice the look of wonder in Izayoi's eyes. She looked seriously at me and said softly, "He told you he regretted it?"

"Uh… I…"

Leaning back against the armrest of the couch, she swallowed, as if processing the information. I saw her surprise and remembered Sango's reaction; how shocked she had been when I'd told her he had said he was sorry.

Izayoi smiled. "I am so proud of both of you," she said, looking almost tearful. "Thank you, Kagome."

"For what?" I asked, bewildered.

"You've been more help to him than you know," Izayoi said, smirking. "I'm grateful."

I nodded a little, taking that in. Had I helped him? Had I really? Izayoi made it seem like I had… _changed _him, or something. But that was impossible. I couldn't really have had such an effect on him—especially in only two weeks!

Even though I would like to think I did.

I shook my head slightly. "I don't think so," I muttered, eyes downcast. "I think he just said that stuff because… because…"

Izayoi raised an eyebrow, smiling smugly, and when I couldn't find an answer, I knew that her point had been made.

Voice quiet, I asked, "Did I really change him?"

"Most definitely," Izayoi said. "You've made him happier than he has been in awhile. You've even helped him get over Kikyo."

"He's not over Kikyo," I muttered.

Kikyo had become a touchy subject lately. Now that I knew I liked him, I was looking at her in a completely different light. Did he still love her? He couldn't have gotten over her. It wasn't possible. And if he still loved her… then…

He could never like me.

I looked up at Izayoi to find her staring at me, a crease between her eyebrows, as if she was confused by me. Finally, after a minute of silence, she said, "Do you really believe that, Kagome?"

I frowned. "That he's not over Kikyo? Of course I do. Why would I…" My voice was quiet when I said, "Why would I say something that hurts me if I didn't believe it wholly and completely?"

I'm not sure why I felt I could be so open with his mother. Maybe it was how comfortable she made me feel. Maybe it was because she knew him best of anyone. Maybe it was because she smiled at me like a sister, and grinned, and laughed. Maybe it was because her entire presence radiated a promise: a promise that whatever was said here would stay between us.

Maybe it was because of what she said next.

"You may believe it," she said gently, reaching out a hand to take mine, "But you're wrong."

I stared at her.

"Inuyasha has healed, Kagome," she said, smiling. "And I think it's because of you."

"Me? How could I heal him?"

And then, to my surprise, she leaned back and rolled her eyes. "Isn't it obvious?" she asked, laughing.

NO. NO, IT IS NOT OBVIOUS, AND I DON'T APPRECIATE YOU LAUGHING LIKE I'M AN IDIOT!

That's what I _should _have said, but it's not what came out.

"Not at all," I said glumly.

She sighed. "Well, I can't tell you, then. But Kagome… one last thing, before Inuyasha comes back. You've done so much for us already, and I know it's unfair to ask another favor of you, but… will you do this for me?"

Once, I might have said blindly, Sure. But I know better than that now.

So I smiled and said wryly, "Depends on what it is."

Izayoi smirked at my hesitance before leaning forward and saying, "I want you to make your feelings more obvious."

Okay, you know when somebody says something that you totally, completely, _absolutely _didn't expect? You know how it feels?

Yeah. That's how I felt.

The woman had to be crazy. How could I make my feelings any more obvious than they already were? And why would I do something like that, anyway? But crazy or not, she seemed to be into the idea, because she grinned and started explaining.

"Give him more clues," she said eagerly. "You and I both know that Inuyasha is absolutely hopeless when it comes to other people's feelings. If he's ever going to know that you like him, you're going to have to almost walk up to him and yell it in his face."

"Who says I want him to know?" I retorted.

Izayoi smiled kindly. "Don't you want to know if _he _likes _you?_"

I stared at her, beginning to think that she was Rin in disguise.

Grinning hopefully, I said, "Couldn't you just tell me? Don't you know?" I'd meant the question to be a joke, but as I asked, a hint of desperation crept into my voice.

Izayoi smirked. "Maybe, maybe not. But you wouldn't want me to tell Inuyasha _your _feelings, would you?"

"NO!"

She laughed at my outburst. "Then I won't tell him. But in turn… I have to respect his wishes."

I frowned at her. "Did he tell you?"

"No, sweetie. But it isn't too hard to figure out."

I would've went on to say that that was probably because she was his mother; because she had raised him, because she knew him inside and out. I would have went on to say that for most people, Inuyasha's feelings were about as clear as a rock in a swamp covered in algae. But I didn't get the time, because at that moment, Inuyasha walked into the room.

And for the first time, swinging carelessly in his right hand, I saw the Tessaiga.

.x.x.

**A/N: I know I called the sword the Tetsusaiga earlier (which is what it is called on Hulu), but I've learned that Tetsusaiga is incorrect, and Tessaiga is MUCH easier to type xD.**

**I know I didn't give you guys much time to review, but thank you to k and ai, i-rock-101, LunaP, Bunnyz, Jennaha11, Aneko, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, bear lover, POCKY, Tsumetai-chan, L, SilverStella, BGuate224, angel2798, and Daichilover for reviewing! **

**The next chapter isn't finished yet. I'm not sure when it will be. Reviewing can't make me write faster, but it WILL motivate me to write and make me post faster, so REVIEW! :D **


	58. Not So Far After All

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: You guys had BETTER review this chapter. xP**

.x.x.

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT: TOTOSAI TORTURE... AMONG OTHER THINGS.

The first thing that ran through my mind was a disbelieving, _He wasn't kidding._

The Tessaiga was a piece of junk.

Literally.

The handle was worn, the blade thin and chipped. No matter which way you turned it, it looked more like a stick painted silver than a sword. Inuyasha swung it carelessly in one hand, grimacing at it all the way, as if determined to show the world just how much he hated this sword.

As if to say, _Oi, just so you know, I don't LIKE this thing._

It was pretty obvious even without the death glares.

"Well, here it is," he muttered, holding it out at arm's length like you might hold a diaper. "My father's heirloom. The one he gave to _me_. Fucking piece of crud, right?"

I grimaced, thinking similarly, but not wanting to say that in front of Izayoi—a person whose sanity I greatly doubted and therefore didn't want to risk upsetting. "Inuyasha, don't treat the sword that way," she said, getting to her feet, frowning in consternation.

"It's not even a sword," he scoffed. But to my surprise, when he saw his mother's slightly hurt gaze, he slipped it through a sword-holster on his back. "Keh," he said, looking away. "I won't break it if it makes you happy."

She smiled. "Very, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha smiled slightly at her, turned to me, and said, "Let's go, Kagome. We'll see if that old geezer can fix this piece of crap."

Subtext there? Behind his words, behind his grin?

You can imagine.

…I have a feeling Totosai might need some fixing after this.

.x.x.

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest, grimacing at the sign hanging above the store. "Spiritual Origins?" he scoffed. "What kind of a name is that?"

I smirked at him. "A name for a store with objects of spiritual power. I think it's pretty fitting."

You would have also thought that judging by the name, I would have knownit was a little weird for such a store to carry fake dog demon collars, but I decided not to point that out.

Inuyasha glared at the door, maybe trying to plan out his threats, maybe trying to decide whether or not to kick it down… maybe imagining Totosai stabbed through the neck by one of the fangs on his kotodama.

"Inuyasha," I said hesitantly, "Totosai has a teleporting, fire-breathing cow with three eyes."

He shrugged. "So?"

Grimacing, I said, "So… you know… whatever you're planning, you might not want to go with your usual punch-the-guy-in-the-face-and-grab-his-neck routine."

Inuyasha grinned, and I groaned. Fine. If he wanted to get his face burned off, it wasn't my problem. He could just go ahead and get cooked by Totosai's cow-ox-thing. None of my business. I don't care if he gets disfigured for life.

Oh… wait. I do, actually.

Crap.

Inuyasha kicked the door open, and I followed him in, apprehensively watching _MUST KILL _vibes radiate off his skin and thinking about how everything had been much simpler when I _hated _Inuyasha. At least then, I would have followed him in glaringand thinking he was an idiot—instead of glaring and worrying that he might be about to get his face fried.

But then again, he probably would have preceded our entrance with a few random insults, and we would have been arguing the whole way there, which isn't exactly fun, so… I guess you win some, you lose some.

Anyway. Now that I would actually _care _if he got burned to death, I decided that I should probably make it my responsibility to make sure that he _doesn't._

"TOTOSAI! GET THE FUCK OVER HERE!"

I'm starting to think that that's going to be even harder than I thought.

I sighed, standing next to Inuyasha, looking around the shop… which, to my surprise, contained no Totosai. Nor anyone else except me and Inuyasha, it appeared. I didn't even see his cow, which sort of disturbed me. There aren't many places you can hide a three-eyed cow, and the shop was very small. But then again, Totosai had a habit of appearing out of nowhere, I recalled… so maybe we just had to wait, and when he got bored of Inuyasha's threats, he might show up.

Maybe.

"OI! OLD GEEZER, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?"

I glanced at Inuyasha. "Uh… ever thought that maybe he doesn't like being screamed at?"

"Well, he'd better get used to it," Inuyasha growled. A light entered his eyes, a sly grin spreading across his face as he said, "But then again… I've always been a man of action more than of words."

That's for sure.

I slapped my hand against my face, wishing halfheartedly that I hadn't ended up liking a guy with serious aggression problems. "On second thought," I grumbled, "Keep yelling."

Inuyasha laughed, and I peeked up at him through my fingers, slowly lowering my hand. Sure, he was probably imagining all the fun he would have murdering Totosai, but his laugh still seemed so… free. It was one of those contagious laughs that made me want to laugh, too.

I'm an idiot. But as he laughed, I couldn't help but feel that there was no one else in the world like Inuyasha.

And that's probably one of the reasons I like him.

"Oi, Kagome. You okay?"

I smiled at him, replying, "Okay as ever. What about you?"

"Better than okay," he said, smirking, grinding one fist into the palm of his other hand. "This is gonna be fun…."

I'm _really _glad he trailed off.

Glaring at him, I said, "Don't do anything stupid, okay? Totosai's a little… crazy. And he really doesn't like you."

Suddenly I grinned, struck by sudden inspiration. Running to the counter, I scanned it until I found what I was looking for.

Grabbing the Robe of the Fire-Rat, I turned to give it to Inuyasha.

"And what do you think you're doing, Miss?"

I jumped, covering my mouth with my hand before realizing who it was. "Totosai," I breathed. "You scared me."

The old man who had appeared literally out of nowhere on the back of a large cow quirked his head to the side, frowning. "_Kagome?" _When I smirked, he grinned, continuing, "Ah, Kagome! So, how did your friend like his gifts?"

I swear, for the guy to be able to say that so casually, he had to be insane.

Deciding that I had better be the one to answer him before Inuyasha could put his foot in his mouth, I racked my mind for what to say.

Option A: Ah… about that…

Option B: Are you bipolar or are you just screwing with me?

Option C: HE FREAKING HATED IT, CUZ IT WAS A _FREAKING KOTODAMA!_

Option D: You can ask him that, but be warned—he's considering showing you his gratitude with claws and teeth.

Ah, options… they suck.

Tell me: is it _normal _for you to not despise a guy who lied to you and tricked you into subjugating a volatile half demon, your friend, and your fantasized future boyfriend? Is it _natural? _Shouldn't I be furious, annoyed?

But I wasn't furious.

That can't be healthy.

So, because I didn't want to reveal to Inuyasha that actually I found this whole situation almost as humorous as Totosai did (until he got his eyes gouged out, that is), I sufficed for, "Well… that's sort of what we wanted to talk to you—"

"YOU LITTLE FUCKER! GET OVER HERE!"

Mentally groaning and mentally slapping my own head until my brains came out the other end, I watched Inuyasha run past me and lift Totosai up by the neck.

"Inuyasha—"

He grinned at me before turning back to glare at Totosai. "Alright old man, what the fuck is your problem? I mean, who the hell goes and tricks random people into subjugating people they don't even know?"

It took me a second to process Inuyasha's words—and the fact that he was actually _speaking. _Yes, that's right. He was asking QUESTIONS with his MOUTH and not his CLAWS.

"Inuyasha? Are you okay?" I asked curiously, raising an eyebrow. What did this moderately civil Inuyasha mean? Was he going to interrogate Totosai and _then _beat the crap out of him?

This was not going to make the guy any more likely to repair his sword.

At this thought, I cast a nervous glance at Totosai, about to say something—an apology, an explanation for why he was being held in the air by his neck?—but then I saw the man's face, and realized that it was _blank. _

_WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE IN TOKYO? DOESN'T ANYONE CARE ABOUT GETTING THEIR THROATS RIPPED OUT ANYMORE?_

"You're still as hot-tempered and spoiled as ever, Inuyasha-sama," Totosai chastised, sighing as if he were a little boy throwing a tantrum and not a homicidal half demon holding the guy by the neck.

We stared at him.

"That was another thing," I said suddenly. "Inuyasha doesn't know who you are. How do you know him?"

Wait: Inuyasha-_sama?_

"Well, perhaps I might tell you if Inuyasha-sama would put me down?"

Inuyasha, disgruntled, released him, and Totosai fell ungracefully back onto his cow. Straightening his clothes, raising himself haughtily to a sitting position, Totosai said, "I happen to be the sword maker whom Inuyasha's parents trust above any other—and I am also the maker of _that _sword, which, unfortunately, has fallen into the hands of the most ungrateful of masters!"

At that—and I kid you not—he _swooned._

Predictably, Inuyasha _keh'd. _

"The last time I saw you," Totosai continued, glaring, "Was many years ago. You were a small child, and we were presenting the sword to you—and you—you called it…!"

"A piece of shit?" Inuyasha suggested. "Bad fuck?"

Even though it was total BS, I couldn't help but glare at that.

I am now officially getting jealous over insults. _Great._

In my mind's eye, I saw a tiny Inuyasha, standing on legs which hadn't yet lost their baby fat. I saw his silver hair, shorter than now, growing crazily around his head. And I saw him dangling the Tessaiga in one hand, glaring at it, and yelling, "THIS IS A PIECE OF SHIT! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! FUUUUUUUUUCK YOUUUUUU!"

What a spoiled, dirty-mouthed brat.

I giggled.

"I believe the words you used were, _poop pile_," Totosai said, glaring at him. "Which it certainly is not! It is not the sword's fault that you do not know how to use it!"

"Wait—so you can't fix it?" Me and Inuyasha asked simultaneously.

Totosai shrugged. "Nope."

We stared at him.

"Then why'd you give me that coupon?" I demanded, angry now.

Blinking, he said, "Coupon?"

"You know, the one that said that Inuyasha could come over and have his sword fixed for free. Why'd you give me that if you can't fix it?"

"Ahhh… THAT coupon," Totosai said, eyes lighting in realization. "Well, at the time, I didn't know it was Inuyasha we were talking about. But then when I found out—"

"YOU TRICKED ME INTO SUBJUGATING HIM!"

"YEAH, IDIOT!"

"—I knew that the kotodama was the PERFECT thing for him!" Totosai said, clapping his hands together.

Inuyasha punched him. And for reasons unknown, or for reasons I didn't want to think about, I didn't sit him.

We smirked at each other; I was starting to see what he saw in payback.

Totosai got back up on the cow, grumbling the entire way. "You are a rude child," he muttered. "Insolent boy. Now go, you two."

"Wait—at least help him with the sword!" I cried in protest.

"I don't need help!" Inuyasha objected. "It's a piece of shit."

"Don't you mean poop pile?" I asked, laughing.

Inuyasha reddened. "Shut up!"

But I kept laughing, refusing to shut up, and Inuyasha growled at me, which oddly enough, made me laugh even harder.

Totosai smirked at us the entire time.

"So," Inuyasha said finally, "Can you fix the sword or not?"

"I've already told you! The sword is not broken. _You _do not know how to _wield _it!"

"Then teach me how to wield it," Inuyasha growled.

Totosai glanced from him and then, oddly, to me. His eyes narrowed in scrutiny as he looked at me, almost as if he were appraising me. Shifting under his gaze, I waited until it returned to Inuyasha.

Frowning at him, Totosai sighed.

Inuyasha spoke my mind by groaning and saying, "Don't tell me you're gonna say some crap like _you have to figure it out by yourself_ or _you'll never learn if someone just tells you. _Cause I've heard all that shit in kung fu movies, and it doesn't make any of those old, wrinkled monk dudes look any smarter."

Couldn't have said it better myself.

But that wasn't what Totosai said. Instead of spewing out some annoying-as-heck crap about how "a lesson taught is not a lesson earned" (which I am REALLY sick of), he said something entirely different and utterly unexpected—

"Of course I'm not going to say that. I just don't wanna tell you," Totosai said, smiling angelically.

—and which made me and Inuyasha's annoyance levels break the top of the Kago-meter. Which, by the way, can get a heck of a lot higher than the Inuyasha-meter.

Huh… Inuyasha-meter just doesn't work as well as Kago-meter, does it?

So, the usual ensued. Inuyasha frothed at the mouth, Totosai screamed and turned his cow on him, Inuyasha attacked him, and Totosai's cow breathed fire at him. Oh, yeah: and let's not forget that I SAVED INUYASHA'S BUTT BY THROWING THE ROBE OF THE FIRE-RAT ON HIM.

So, all in all, nothing too odd.

There was a beat of dead silence where Inuyasha appeared to take in what had just happened. Holding the red robe with shaking fingers, he stared at it… then at me… then at Totosai. The old man must've known that no amount of fire would protect him from Inuyasha's wrath, because he chose a new shield.

"HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

And that shield happened to be ME.

"Inuyasha-sama, don't hurt me!" Totosai cried, ignoring my struggling. "I can help you! I can help you with your sword!"

"Okay, man, I know I'm not like a little twig or anything, but I'm not a _cow_, for crying out loud!" I shouted, getting a little irritated, and also a little crazy, judging by the fact that I was taking my new function in life (AKA ANTI-INUYASHA SHIELDING DEVICE) to mean that Totosai thought I was _fat._

I'm insane. I don't have anorexia or a low self-esteem, but I'M FREAKING INSANE.

It's just a statement of fact.

Inuyasha's eyes looked perfectly capable of burning through both Totosai and his new shield when he shouted murderously, "You tried to fucking _kill _me! WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?"

"Self defense, Inuyasha-sama," Totosai squeaked. "Now, if you would please calm down and—"

"Let go of me," I growled, "Before he kills us BOTH!"

"Don't worry, Kagome," Inuyasha said. "I'm just gonna kill him—not you."

Words? Pretty reassuring. Voice? Face? _I'm gonna freaking rip this asshole limb from limb _vibes? Not so much.

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles, smiled, looked at Totosai, and asked sincerely, "Do you want me to take possession of your fingernails with fishing wire?"

That was when I knew he'd lost it.

"Inuyasha," I growled, "_Sit._"

Inuyasha slammed to the ground, eyes screaming bloody-freaking-murder.

"Sit."

BOOM.

"Kago—"

"Sit."

THUD.

"Why you—"

"Sit."

CRASH.

"WEN—"

"DESCEND!"

Inuyasha swore, covering his head with his hand… before blinking and staring at me like I'd lost my mind.

"Sorry," I said, giggling. "I just had to give it a try."

And that was when Totosai and I joined him in the questioning of my sanity.

It seemed that I'd sat Inuyasha enough times to prevent him from killing me and Totosai, so I let him stagger to his feet and grab a shelf for support. "Kagome," he growled, "If you do that one more time—"

"Hey Totosai?" I interrupted, ignoring his fuming. The old man looked at me warily, as if thinking I might share Inuyasha's MUST STRANGLE OLD GUY ON COW urges. But before he could get too worried—and after waiting just long enough to enjoy his nervous smile—I said cheerfully, "Thanks for the kotodama. It's been a lot of help!"

Inuyasha's spitfire expression was too funny to make me fear for my life.

He took a few deep breaths, steadying himself before dragging the red robe off of the floor. "Oi, Toto," he growled, "What's this?"

I giggled at that, and Totosai quirked an eyebrow. "Toto?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, saying dismissively, "That little fuck of a fur-ball they call a dog in that movie—whatever it's called."

"You mean the Wizard of Oz?" I said dryly.

"Yeah, that one!" he exclaimed, as if it were a great achievement to have recognized the name. And at that, I couldn't help but laugh and giggle and grin at Inuyasha, and I couldn't stop even when he glared at me. But the funny thing was, I wasn't laughing to be mean.

He was just cute. That's all.

When his dog ears twitched, I laughed harder.

"Oi," he growled. "I asked a question. What the hell is this thing?"

Inuyasha brandished the red robe in front of our faces, and Totosai, caught unawares, snatched it from his hands. "It is a precious antique!" he snapped, cradling it, stroking it like it was a baby… okay, sort of creepy…

"Can't be much of an antique," Inuyasha growled, prodding it with his claw. "What is this thing? Why did it protect me from the fire?"

Totosai swelled with pride and said, "This, Inuyasha-sama, is one of my finest artifacts. It is one of a kind, made of the fur of the—"

"Fuck what it's made of! What _is it?_" Inuyasha demanded.

Tactful as always. Sigh.

Pouting, Totosai muttered, "It's the Robe of the Fire-Rat. It protects the wearer against fire, arrows… most kinds of physical assault."

Inuyasha grinned widely. "So this thing," he said excitedly, "Protects you from anything?"

"Yes," Totosai said, smiling, a little bit of pride creeping back into his eyes. "Would you like it, Inuyasha?"

"Sure. How much?"

"Three hundred."

And so Inuyasha pulled out three hundred dollars in cash out of his wallet, gave it to Totosai, and took the Robe of the Fire-Rat into his arms… not knowing how I seethed and gaped during the entire exchange.

Three hundred dollars. WHO CARRIES AROUND THREE HUNDRED BUCKS?

Inuyasha, apparently.

Rich people. Stupid, stupid rich people…

"Hey Kagome? Time to go."

Woken from my annoyance, I grimaced at him and said, "Okay."

"Bye, Toto!" Inuyasha called over his shoulder, giving the guy a wave. I looked over at Totosai to see a vein bulge in his temple, and unable to resist, I giggled.

Inuyasha and I are immature, but still… annoying Totosai feels pretty good right about now.

.x.x.

We went to dinner afterward, at some pizza place in the city. It wasn't fancy, it wasn't gourmet… just a pizza place. Just us sitting across a two-person table, grinning and laughing and talking.

It was a perfect ending to what had been, oddly enough, a perfect day.

Well, except for the Menomaru and Gatenmaru part.

I thought about that as we made our way back to Inuyasha's car, as we opened our doors and slid into our seats… my grin slowly fading, my eyes becoming intense. Instead of seeing Inuyasha's fingers flex on the steering wheel, I saw his claws… flexing in warning. Instead of seeing his eyes stare blindly into the setting sun, somehow unharmed by its glares, squinting just slightly, I saw his eyes narrowed at his enemies.

Instead of feeling myself sitting in his car, strapped in already by my seatbelt, I felt myself pinned to my seat by Menomaru's and Gatenmaru's arms.

My eyes tightened.

I could almost feel it—their hands on my shoulders, their smirks paralyzing me in fear. And my mouth would move, my mind would not give up—I would yell at them, I knew. Insult them, taunt them, threaten them. But behind the bravado, there would be that edge to my voice… the edge which, just as my beating heart knew, would tell them I was afraid.

That I knew I was helpless.

"Oi, Kagome. What's wrong?"

I blinked a little, turning my head to find Inuyasha staring at me. But instead of answering, I sat up straighter, squared my shoulders, and said, "Will you drive me to Kaede's?"

Confused, Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "My grandma? The old hag's probably sleeping already."

"She is _not _sleeping, and she is _not _a hag," I growled. "Don't be rude—and don't argue with me either. Just take me there."

Inuyasha groaned, glaring half-heartedly at me, and mumbled, "What's with you? I'm not in the mood to fight, alright?"

His words caught me off guard, made me freeze. With a numb chill, I realized that I'd actually snapped at him—for no reason! Without provocation, without any explanation for my behavior… what was wrong with me?

I kneaded my forehead in my hands. "Sorry," I said softly. "I didn't mean it that way. But I really need to talk to her. Please, Inuyasha."

And then Inuyasha, being Inuyasha, faced me fully and said with characteristic bluntness, "Is this about Menomaru and Gatenmaru? Are you afraid?"

_Are you afraid? _I had an automatic response to that, a response built in over many years, a response which slipped off of my tongue before I could even process the question. "I'm not afraid!" I nearly yelled. When Inuyasha raised his eyebrows at me, I glared at him, vaguely thinking that that expression was very attractive on his face before reminding myself of the point I had to make. "I just… I just hate being _helpless_," I said scathingly, a tinge of desperation creeping into my voice.

Helpless. I knew I was helpless, for now, and I absolutely hated it. But on the bright side, I knew that I didn't have to be helpless forever.

Kagome Higurashi isn't meant to be helpless.

"Next time they come for us," I said quietly, calmly, firmly, "I want to be ready." I saw Inuyasha's face twist in objection, but before he could speak I clapped my hand over his lips without thinking and said, "I know you'll protect me! I appreciate it! Thank you! But I think it's about time I start protecting myself. I can't rely on you forever, and I don't want to."

A little pointedly, even a little teasingly, but still serious, Inuyasha took my wrist. I blushed as he lowered my hand back down to my knee, tensing as his fingers brushed my leg. "You've got the ward," he said. "You'll be fine. Don't worry about it, just let me handle it—"

"Again, with that attitude," I growled. "It's like… what do you think I am? _Who _do you think I am?"

At this Inuyasha smirked, and I instantly regretted asking as he teased, "An amateur priestess who thinks she's a hell of a lot more capable than she really is."

"Why you—"

"A spirited one, though," he added. "And that's why I know you're gonna be awesome one day."

Stiffening, stopping my objections for just one moment, my mind went blank.

"Do you mean that?" I asked curiously.

Inuyasha nodded, smirking… the faintest red on his cheeks, but maybe that was just the dimmed light of the sun filtered through a violet haze. "Of course," he said. His smirk faded as he glanced away from me, and I stared at him, listening to his words through a clouded mind. "You're gonna be amazing one day, Kagome. I know you'll work hard, I know you want to learn faster, but… go at your own pace. You've only had two lessons so far. And until you can protect yourself… just… let me protect you."

And those words wiped everything out of mind. My plans to visit Kaede, my worry that one lesson a week was not enough, my complaints, my repressed fears… everything, suddenly, was gone. I knew it would come back, I knew the tranquility was only temporary, but for this one moment… I felt content.

We sat in silence for a moment, just there, in the tiny parking lot outside the pizzeria… just together. Just enjoying the moment of peace, while we could.

I looked out the window into the sun, sleeping in an auburn sky, clothed in lavender mist. Beautiful. The sunset was beautiful. Not as beautiful as seen from a beach in Okinawa, not as beautiful as looked upon from a cliff, far away from people and civilization… not as beautiful as home… but it was beautiful nonetheless.

There was something to be said for the contrast between our world and the domain of the sun. My world: a parking lot, a fancy sports car… a handsome half demon sitting a foot away from me, gazing up into the golden realm which mirrored his eyes. Glancing at his face, I almost thought that his eyes were reflecting the sun, the sky… but then I remembered that they weren't. That was just their natural color.

I took a small breath.

Now was the moment. Now was a moment as good as any other—no. _Better _than any other. Sure, it was in a parking lot. Sure, it wasn't on a lush, green hill overlooking the beach as I'd always imagined, sure we weren't surrounded by palm trees and sand and wildflowers… sure. It wasn't Okinawa.

But it was with Inuyasha, and if _with Inuyasha _meant _Tokyo_, then there was no place I'd rather be.

_Say it, Kagome. Say it before it's too late. Say it before you retreat so far into yourself that you forget it ever existed…_

"Hey… Inuyasha?"

To my surprise, Inuyasha jumped, hand leaping off of the steering wheel. Stiffening a little, he turned his head slightly, smile-smirking at me, just barely meeting my eyes. "Yeah? What is it?"

His eyes were beautiful. Golden like topaz, like amber… like the sunset far above us. Like the realm of the sky, the realm which hung deceptively over our heads, teasing us. I had always thought that the sky seemed a bit mischievous. Just sitting there, so far away, and yet seeming so close. The sky had always looked to me like I could reach out and touch it, just brush my finger along one of those beautiful clouds… just pick the sun out of the sky, like an ornament to hold and caress. Like a diamond.

I stared at Inuyasha, and realized with dull surprise that I had begun to compare him to the world above.

So close… yet so, so far…

"Kagome. You okay?"

Yes, I was okay. That was the simple answer, that was the common answer, that was the decent answer. That was the answer everyone expected, the answer everyone gave. But why, then, the question? What was the point of a question which didn't expect a reply?

I didn't want to give the simple answer; I was sick of the status quo.

I wanted so badly to tell him the truth, to come clean, to pour my heart and soul and fears into his hands. At least then I would have done my best—it would be _his _decision, his hands which made us into whatever we would become. I would have done my part, and he would have to decide which part was his to play.

But I couldn't do my part. And I asked myself: if I couldn't fulfill my role, if _I want to be with you _morphed into, "I had a good time," how could I expect him to play his part? How could I expect him to say his lines when I hadn't given him the cue?

But this was not a play, and there was no script. And maybe that was why it was so hard.

I've always sucked at improvising.

I looked at Inuyasha, waiting for his reaction to my pathetic excuse for a sentence… only to find that his face matched the red in the heart of the sun. It was a beautiful color, mirrored by the sky, and at that moment, he himself looked like a fragment of the sunset. Silver hair, glowing eyes, reddened face… it was surreal, it was majestic.

I was so distracted that I didn't care that I sounded ridiculous, like an infatuated teenager. I didn't notice that my heart beat faster, that our heads leaned closer…

But I noticed when his hand took mine.

And I noticed when our lips met.

It was a hesitant kiss, a tentative kiss, a kiss of inquiry and of wonder. A kiss of permission and of awe, a kiss not like my fantasies, not like how I dreamed it would be… but like how I _would _have dreamed it would be, had I known that a kiss could be like this. And before I knew it, here we were: kissing across the armrest of his car. But unwillingly, reluctantly, because our fears had not yet been stilled, we pulled apart briefly to ask one last time.

Our eyes answered.

This time when our lips collided, Inuyasha was not hesitant. His lips weren't nervous as they explored mine, his hands weren't fearful as they dug into my hair. His newfound confidence made something burn within me, a bravery, an abandon which I hadn't known existed… not until now.

Not until I threw my arms around his neck and leaned into the kiss, ignited by a sudden fire.

One of his hands ventured down the back of my neck, tracing my spine as his lips continued to explore my face. He sent shivers through me, shivers of elation and elevation and anticipation and sheer awe… I hooked my arms tighter around him, and he clutched the hair at the nape of my neck, bracing my head against his. He tilted his head, deepening the kiss, and I followed along, grabbing bravely at his silver hair, doing what I'd wanted to do almost since I'd _known _him: run my fingers through it.

It felt as good as I'd imagined, but the kiss surpassed it, and through the haze, I couldn't help but think: Inuyasha is a _really _good kisser.

Maybe it had been our fears, our questions, our secrets bottled up for what felt like years when it was in fact days that made us cling so forcefully to each other. Maybe it was the fear that this was all a dream, that it was just a fantasy, a deceit, which made us try to hold our breath for longer than our lungs, or at least mine, would last. But for whatever reason, it was with desperation that we clung to each other at the end, while we felt our breathing turning to short pants.

The desperation was unnecessary, for when we finally pulled apart, he was still there, and I was still holding his hair in my fists.

Inuyasha stroked my reddening cheek with a gentle claw, lowered his head toward me, and muttered with serious eyes alight with wonder, "Are you for real?"

And it was such a ridiculous question that I laughed.

In answer I kissed him again, forced my lips upon his, and he welcomed them eagerly, burying his hands into my hair again. Taking a few moments to recollect my wits, I pulled away and asked, "Are _you _for real?"

And because it sounded just as absurd coming from my mouth as it had from his, we laughed together and our lips collided as we met in a crash of elation and bliss.

_That_, my friends,is my first kiss, and it was more than I'd ever hoped for.

.x.x.

Inuyasha and I drove away from the street, faces flushed, but not with embarrassment. It was a silent ride for awhile, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It was a silence of… rest. A silence of recollection, of respite.

A silence before the words to come, the words we knew without saying, the words we desperately needed to hear.

Inuyasha broke the silence by glancing at me and giving me one of his smirks, but for the first time, it didn't annoy me. Instead it sent my heart jumping around as I waited for him to speak.

"I'm glad we kissed," he said, blushing a little, but still managing to maintain his smirk. "At least now I know the answer to the question… and I don't have to give you a dare."

At that, half in shock and half in humor, I laughed.

"I'm glad, too," I said wryly. "I don't even like to think what you could've come up with."

Inuyasha grinned evilly at me. "As fun as a dare would've been…" The evilness of the grin faded slightly, but the grin remained even as his face reddened, and he continued, "This is better."

And there we were. Blushing and grinning, hearts jumping out of our chests, looking absolutely ridiculous and not giving a crap about it.

We pulled up in front of my house, opening our doors. Inuyasha walked me up to the front door and leaned against the wall as I fumbled for my key, finally pressing it up to the lock. But before I could insert it, I felt a hand on my shoulder. The claw of his thumb brushed against my collarbone, sending shivers down my spine.

I turned around to gaze questioningly at Inuyasha before his lips captured mine, his hand traveling to the small of my back. I responded eagerly as he wrapped his hands around my waist, pulling me to him.

The kiss lasted for only a few seconds, and too soon for both of us, we separated.

"Sorry about that," Inuyasha said, running a hand through his hair, grinning without shame. "I just needed—"

"Don't apologize," I said quickly. "I understand."

He needed to try once more, to verify, to confirm. To make sure one final time that this was real. I knew and understood, because I was feeling the same way.

Smiling, I said, "Thank you. And I'd love to kiss you again, but if Sota's at the window watching, I'll never hear the end of it."

Just the idea made me shudder.

Inuyasha grinned at me and muttered, "Stupid brothers. I'd better get going then."

I nodded, smiling slightly—just barely a smirk. "Yeah."

Inuyasha took my hand one more time, squeezed it, and jumped onto the yard. But before he left—before he hopped over the fence, before he ran off to his car—Inuyasha turned on his heel to look at me and said, "Are we going out?"

I took a deep breath, smiled so widely I thought my face might crack, and said, "I would love that."

And I got the feeling that Inuyasha would love that too, because his grin widened, and it was with visible reluctance that he waved goodbye and jumped out of sight. Grinning to myself, humming some stupid tune, trying not to skip with giddiness or squeal with joy, I turned the key in the lock and prodded open the door.

I'd thought it was impossible for anyone to be happy in Tokyo. Yet here I am, disproving my own theory.

Unable to hold it in anymore, shackles of restraint clattering to the floor, I slammed the door shut, sprinted upstairs to my bedroom, buried my head in a pillow, and screamed in happiness.

**A/N: Well? What do you think?**

**I REALLY hope this chapter was good! I'll be honest, this wasn't meant to happen. I was writing it, and I was like, "WHOA, KAGS, INUYASHA, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" And they told me, "You kept us apart for FIFTY-SEVEN FREAKING CHAPTERS. Deal with it!"**

**Believe me, beloved characters can be a frightening thing sometimes.**

**ANYWAY, their first kiss was supposed to happen in exactly four chapters, and completely differently. But I think I like how it came out. :) Did you? Was it too rushed? Is that a stupid question? xD**

**REVIEW AND TELL ME!**

**Thank you to POCKY, bear lover, Sakura-Suzumura, purplemonkies, Curious, beautiful-surreal, Daichilover, BGuate224, iheartinuyasha, xXthenextbookwormXx, k ai, AutumnroseHigurashi, SilverStella, k and ai again, angel2798, and Bunnyz for reviewing! And though I love all of you and all my readers, I'd like to give a special shout out to an anonymous reviewer who I cannot reply to via URL: k and ai- I believe you are the only ones to review continuously EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER since you started reading this story. I don't know how you've managed to do it. And by the way, your reviews are crazy—I love you guys. xD**

**Oh, as for the Tetsusaiga/Tessaiga confusion- I think it was a translation error. He actually says "Tessaiga" even though it's written as "Tetsusaiga." Or maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I've heard. Anyway, I may continue using Tessaiga for this story! (As I said, it's easier to type xD) But don't be confused if I randomly say Tetsusaiga again, or decide to switch back to it. They're the same thing. :D**

**REVIEW, GUYS! PLEASEEEEEEE! **


	59. Navigating A Labyrinth

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

.x.x.

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, an AWESOME fan, friend, and lover of Rin/Sess who has reviewed nearly every chapter of this story AND WHO I FORGOT TO MENTION IN MY A/N LAST CHAPTER! DX And after she gave me THREE reviews, too, even reviewing the chapters she'd missed. Anyway, you have my eternal apologies, and hopefully this will make up for it! :D **

.x.x.

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE: NAVIGATING A LABYRINTH

~RIN POV~

The apartment was simple—not at all what I'd expected. Perhaps a mansion, gloriously out of place on the crowded streets of Tokyo? Rising up above the ground, towering over everything else and throwing the world into its shadow with its wonder?

Much like Sesshomaru himself.

I sighed to myself as I looked at him, at his silver, elegant hair, at his beautiful golden eyes, intense as he scanned the first page of the book I'd picked from his library. His library was beautiful, as was his apartment, but as I said before, it was _not _a mansion, nor was it an expensive penthouse with a stunning view of the city. It was a suite in an expensive apartment building. Nothing more, nothing less. And though it was far more elegant than anything I would have ever even _dreamed _of while living in Okinawa, somehow, it did not fit Sesshomaru.

But in the same way, somehow, it did.

He and his apartment were both handsome (as weird as it is to call an apartment handsome) and modest. Well, I may be the only one to think that Sesshomaru is modest. And you know what? Fine. Maybe he isn't modest. Maybe he isn't as modest as I like to think him to be, maybe he's fully aware of how brilliant and amazing and gorgeous he is… maybe he's fully aware of how I feel about him.

"Rin? Why are you sighing?"

But if he _does _know, and if he only feigns ignorance… then that's a kind of modesty, right?

Remarking to myself that it must be very hard for him to pretend all the time, I smiled uneasily and said quickly, "Nothing! I was just…"

But I trailed off, feeling my face redden, grimacing. I _hate _blushing. If there's one thing in the world which I really, really LOATHE, that would be it. The helplessness, the powerlessness of me against my emotions, against my body… it's not fair! Why, when I go through all the trouble of trying to hide my feelings from him, should my body always betray me?

I don't have a clue how Sesshomaru hasn't figured it out yet.

Sesshomaru raised one long eyebrow at me, waiting for my answer, and when he figured out that I didn't have anything to say, he asked, "Just what?"

"Just… just…"

_ Lie. Think of something to say, before he decides that you're an idiot!_

I gulped, smiled anxiously, and said, "I was just thinking about what we were talking about earlier. You know, in the car. About Menomaru and Gatenmaru."

Sesshomaru nodded at this, at first not replying, and I wondered if he'd even heard me, or if he was distracted by the book or the _I like you, why can't you see it? _vibes radiating off of my skin. I swear, if I could feel them, burning me, corrupting me, enrapturing me, obsessing me… then it should be easy for Sesshomaru to notice with his heightened senses.

I wish I could be a demon—strong, fast, beautiful. Unique, elegant, graceful… if I were a demon, I wouldn't trip running to my classes, wouldn't let my books fall out of my arms, wouldn't let my face betray me with its reddening cheeks. If I were a demon, I could scare any blush which _dared _trespass on my skin!

At that thought, I smiled, restraining a giggle. And then, as Sesshomaru looked at me, raising an eye questioningly, I giggled out loud, smiling broadly at him, remembering just how much I loved smiling.

I had never seen a demon smile like I was smiling now. And, smiling, I thought that maybe there were perks to being a human, too.

"You have a beautiful smile."

Five words froze the smile in place.

"Er, sorry, what?" He couldn't really have said that. Those could not possibly have been the words which slipped through his lips, which came from that blank, unreadable face… he couldn't _really _have said that. Right?

_Don't hope. Don't hope. You misheard him._

And maybe I _had _misheard him, maybe I _had _fantasized that voice which sounded so like his, for Sesshomaru said, face inscrutable as ever, "You wanted to know why what Gatenmaru did to you didn't work on me?"

That sounded more like him.

Disappointed? Yes, of course. Surprised? Not at all. Really, I wasn't even sure why I'd asked him to repeat himself; on the off-chance that he _had _said what I'd thought he said, if he _had_, unlikely as it was… said the words I thought I heard… there was no way he'd say it again.

And that small piece of knowledge let the little-but-growing-quickly-bigger part of me which dared to hope keep hoping.

So I smiled at him. "Yes, that's it." Don't blush, Rin. Stop blushing. "So…" Keep talking. Don't talk like an idiot. You're _not _an idiot. "I know we need to work on the project and all," I said, trying not to talk too fast, "But I really did want to know. You said something about stronger demons being immune?"

At this Sesshomaru smirked slightly, and it was a tiny smirk, a tiny piece of a smile, but I grasped at it like a lifeline. He faced me fully and said, "You were the one who said that. But I do know the real answer, if you would like to hear it."

Blushing furiously, I nodded.

Sesshomaru nodded, impassive as always, and I struggled to read his face, his eyes, as he said tonelessly, "Gatenmaru feeds upon the fears of his victims, using their private terrors to recreate a waking nightmare. It is a tactic best used against the weak of mind and vulnerable or open of heart."

Weak of mind? I bristled a little at that, looking down at my knees, but no matter how cruel the words, they were true. I _was _weak. Weak-willed, weak-bodied, weak-hearted… completely open and vulnerable to my emotions, ruled by them with no sense of logic. It was my fatal flaw, I knew it. But _weak of mind _made me sound like I was stupid… and I'm not stupid!

Does Sesshomaru think I'm stupid?

Sesshomaru blinked, and for a horrifying moment, I realized I'd actually murmured those words to myself, forgetting that he could hear me. I stared at him in mortification, and he stared at me, and for the first time, in his eyes, I saw shock.

"I… I…" _Sorry_, I was going to say. _I didn't mean it. _But I didn't mean _what, _exactly? What did I have to apologize for? Why should I say I was sorry that _he _thought I was _stupid?_

It was only after he spoke again that I realized that these thoughts, too, were completely susceptible to his piercing eyes.

"Why this Sesshomaru would think Rin was stupid," Sesshomaru said softly, "I cannot imagine. Nor do I know why Rin would think such a thing, for she would have to be stupid to believe it, and I know that you are not stupid."

My heart skipped a feet.

I felt a warm lightness spreading through me, a smile spreading across my face. I wasn't quite sure whether his words were a compliment or an insult, but I felt light, free, glowing as I said, "Keep explaining, please."

He didn't think I was stupid. I _knew it._

I made an effort to stop smiling and be serious when he opened his mouth to speak again. "There are very few people who cannot be reached by Gatenmaru's invasive ways. Their minds must operate on an entirely different plane from his, from the normal person's. My mind, for instance, is well-secured from such amateurish attacks."

Eyes widened with awe, I asked, "Were you born that way, or did you train yourself?"

"Both," he replied. "Not everyone can undergo such intense mental training, however. But there are some whose minds are so fractured that their sense of reality is different from ours, from Gatenmaru's. A simple, brutish child like Gatenmaru could never wade through a mind like that and come out unscathed. His kind, the illusionists, know when they are approaching a mind like that, and would not try to invade it."

I ran over his words in my mind, fascinated, leaning forward. Finally, unable to think of anything else to say, I exclaimed, "That's so cool! I wish I had a mind like that!"

To my surprise, he smirked very slightly. "I would not agree. Do you truly desire a fractured mind?"

I recalled some of his words, then, which had been lost in my excitement. _"…whose minds are so fractured that their sense of reality is different." _Fractured. Broken, impaired, fragmented. He was right—such a mind must be unstable.

But I didn't want to think about things like that right now, so I changed my mind abruptly and said, admiration creeping into my voice, "Then I want to be like _you._"

And then, suddenly, a realization hit me, and I stood up, struck by the force of my idea, as if a bolt of lightning had just zapped through my spine. It could work. I could do it, I know I could. If I set my mind to it, I can do almost anything! All it takes is determination, practice, passion…

It's possible. I can do it.

And so, eyes alight with sudden excitement, I cried out, "Teach me, Sesshomaru! Teach me how to guard my mind from him!"

And in my exhilaration, elation, I didn't notice the odd look which crept into his eyes.

It was only after I'd slowed my breathing, after I'd noticed his lack of response, that I saw it. The hardness, the coldness in those golden orbs… the confusion, the very slight sadness.

The wistfulness, running among all those emotions, looking oddly out of place.

"You don't want that," Sesshomaru said blankly, closing his eyes briefly. "And I will not teach it to you."

When he opened his eyes again, they were unreadable as usual.

I bit my lip, doing my best to hide my disappointment. "I don't understand," I said, sighing. "Why won't you teach me? If I learned, you wouldn't have to protect me all the time, I could be strong, I—"

"The answer is no, and that is final."

The sudden snap made me stop talking and stare at him, hurt shining in my eyes. Stupid. I'm such a crybaby. Please don't cry, please don't cry… anything, but please, _please don't cry…_

Sesshomaru scrutinized me for a moment, frowning just slightly, in that way which makes me feel like he's trying to read into me. Like I confuse him just as much as he confuses me. But that would be impossible, right? I mean, Sesshomaru is… Sesshomaru. He holds all the mystery of the unknown which I, sadly, fail to have. Doesn't my face give away my every thought? Aren't my feelings practically written across my forehead?

But maybe Sesshomaru did not think so, for with that slight frown, he said, "Please do not be upset. This Sesshomaru does not understand why you wish to learn. Menomaru and Gatenmaru will never harm you again."

And guess who was struggling to keep a touched smile off of her face? Guess who was blushing?

I had a feeling I was taking his words to mean too much, finding a promise in them which did not exist. As I thought about that unspoken promise, I was brought back to the street, to my barren street, to the street where I'd been alone… the street of my nightmares. My own street of private loneliness… my fear that I would forever be set apart from everybody else…

I hadn't realized it then, but now, I recognized it as the street from my recurring nightmare.

How could they have known about it? How could Gatenmaru have delved into my fears and pulled out _this? _He could have chosen anything, any fear… but this? Why, out of all the things in my head, out of all those fears I never mention to anyone, would he choose the fear of loneliness?

The words were tinged with desperation, with the terror that he might do it again… and that this time I would be stuck on my lonely street, all alone, in a never-ending, waking dream.

_"Please do not be upset. This Sesshomaru does not understand why you wish to learn. They will never harm you again."_

In my dreams, Sesshomaru had not been there to save me from the empty solitude. But maybe, in reality… he will.

That was when I realized that I was in love with Sesshomaru.

.x.x.

We worked on our project for a few hours, talking occasionally. We picked out our subject, too: the effects of growing a plant in a demonic aura. I think it's going to be great.

I was a little surprised by how engrossing I found the project.

I love doing research on things like this, and I am really going to enjoy doing this project—but still, I would have thought that being so near Sesshomaru would take its toll on my concentration, especially considering what I'd so recently realized.

But it didn't. In fact, I felt more relaxed than usual.

Being in love isn't exactly what I'd thought it would be. Nothing has actually changed between he and I. My heart beats no faster, my breaths come no quicker, and my opinion of him hasn't changed. I don't find myself staring at his eyes, enraptured by their golden color, unable to look away, nor do I find myself moping about longing for him to love me back. I feel no different towards him than I did a few hours ago… other than the fact that I know how I feel about him.

I love him. Simple, true, relieving, and utterly terrifying. But no more terrifying than it had been when I'd only _liked _him.

What does love really mean, though? I knew what it meant for others, what I'd seen, what I'd heard of. I knew what in meant on television, in books. But for me? I had to ask myself what exactly love was; it was completely different from what I'd imagined.

I wasn't craving his touch or his affection… at least not any more than usual. What I craved was simple. A smile, a glance, a word or two here and there. That's it. So you might say to me: _This doesn't sound like love to me. You've only known the guy for two weeks. How do you know that you're in love?_

And if you said this, I would reply: _I don't see how you could tell me what it means for ME to be in love._

And if I may say so… I think that that's a pretty good answer. So I will say it again, with confidence: I am in love with Sesshomaru.

And there's nothing I can do about it.

"Rin. It's time for you to go home."

I nodded, smiled at him, thanked him for being my partner. For being a friend. I don't know what made me say the last, take the leap. Maybe the revelation that I wanted to be more…? But for whatever reason, I took the risk with a smile.

And he smiled back.

Sesshomaru drove me back home, back to my house, and I stepped out of his car and smiled again. "Thank you," I said again. "I had a great time. I'm really excited to be working on this project."

He nodded. "You should go inside before it gets cold."

Funny, how that simple statement made my heart ache.

But I went inside anyway, not revealing the odd pang I felt at his words, smiling and waving as he drove away. _You should go inside before it gets cold. _Those were his last words to me. Why had they had such an effect? Why did they make my chest throb?

And then, with a small sense of surprise, I knew.

They made it sound like he cared about me. And although I knew he cared about me, I doubted that he loved me. No—I knew he didn't love me. But my question: couldhe ever love me?

Normal people don't fall in love with two weeks. That's not how it works. But this is me we're talking about, and I'm hardly a normal person. I love Sesshomaru, and that's that. Maybe it's my definition of love, maybe it's my idea of love… but it's still love.

I would just have to wait and see if he could return it.

Imagine you've been running a labyrinth, a heart-racing, nerve-wracking network of paths and dead ends which you've been lost in for two weeks. For a moment, think about how it would feel to dash from place to place, spinning in an endless circle, until finally a sudden inspiration possesses you and you break into a sprint. Sweat breaks across your forehead, your feet move faster and faster until you feel that you can't breathe… and then you see it, a faint light in the distance. You break free of the labyrinth, exhausted… only to find that there is another just a few steps ahead of you.

Would you despair?

I wouldn't know. This isn't how I feel. Yes, I've been lost in the labyrinth for two weeks, yes, I haven't seen daylight for a fortnight, but I haven't run, I haven't panted until my lungs burn. I walk at a steady pace, at _my _pace, taking dead ends with a light heart. And I'm content to navigate the labyrinth and whatever labyrinths lie ahead of me until I find the answers I need.

This is my network of feelings. This is the maze I've solved to get to where I am now.

Normal. I wondered what it would be like to be normal. To labor over your feelings, to question them, to stress over the feelings of others. I don't understand Sesshomaru and I can't quite discern his feelings… but knowing my own, I think, will help me to know his, too.

I know that although he doesn't love me like I love him, he cares a lot about me. And maybe, _maybe… _he likes me. But other than that little maybe, that little hope, that's all I know.

I want more than that, and it drives me crazy.

.x.x.

**A/N: I tried doing Rin's POV in first person for this chapter. Do you think it's better than third person POV, or was third person POV better?**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS I GOT FOR THE LAST CHAPTER! You guys made me SO happy :D. Thank you to soulsketcher94, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, xbeautyxxisxxlifex, Neon Rain Cloud, k and ai, beautiful-surreal, Suzeheart, Sakura-Suzumura, i-rock-101, Bunnyz, angel2798, AutumnroseHigurashi, BGuate224, InuLuver22199, booklover2thextreme, Roses Kiss, LunaP, inu lover, Wings Dipped in Silver, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, ninjagurl512, Inu-Yasha lov3r1, iheartinuyasha, k and ai, HelloGoodbye, REC, and Diamond369 for reviewing! **

**I'd like to make a comment on this chapter, by the way, cuz I'm insecure and paranoid like that xD. Hopefully you won't flame me for making Rin suddenly decide she loves Sesshomaru. However, when you think about it, she HAS known him for two weeks, and she didn't start out hating him like Kagome and Inuyasha. If you're going to doubt her feelings, you can just ask her the question, and she'll give you the answer :P. And no, that's not an excuse to speed up their relationship. This is Rin we're talking about. She's a very unique person, very open to her heart, and I think that if she felt she loved somebody, she wouldn't waste time questioning it. Instead she'd jump right in and try to figure out what love meant, like she talks about in this chapter. :) **

**Anyway, I hope you liked it! WHOA, obnoxiously long A/N, NF222… I got to go. xP See you later, not sure when the next chapter will be up, but reviewing won't hurt! :D **


	60. How To Survive A Volcanic Explosion

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: I got mixed responses to the first POV/third POV thing for Rin, so I'm just going to go by instinct. It'll vary from scene to scene, depending on whether I think I should show Sesshomaru's thoughts. :) **

**Oh and I oh somebody an apology and a disclaimer- she didn't even tell me to give her a disclaimer, but I feel awful that I forgot! Anyway, when Inuyasha said to Totosai, 'Do you want me to take possession of your fingernails with fishing wire?' that was ALL SilverStella. xD (Thank you so much for that incredible threat! :D)**

**Okay guys, this chapter's much longer than usual! I tried to break it up but I couldn't find a good spot. SO READ AND REVIEW! **

.x.x.

CHAPTER SIXTY: HOW TO SURVIVE A VOLCANIC EXPLOSION

~RINPOV~

The moment I set foot on the second floor, I knew something was up.

"…Kagome?"

In general, when Kagome doesn't respond to her name being called, it means one of two things: either something terrible happened and she's traumatized, or something absolutely amazing happened and she's… well… still traumatized.

Giggling, I couldn't help but think that Kagome takes things with a _lot _of trauma.

I knocked on her door, hesitating when she didn't answer. Was she sleeping? No, it was much too early for that… unless she was exhausted. But what could've made her so tired?

_What did she and Inuyasha do on their date?_

I laughed softly to myself. I knew Kagome hadn't considered it a date, but she was just as aware as I was of the similarity between a date and their so-called "family outing."

"Family outing," I giggled to myself. I knew perfectly well that it probably hadn't felt like that to either of them.

But I would let them keep pretending, if that was what they wanted. If that was what they needed, if ignorance was the only thing maintaining their sanity… then I wouldn't be the bridge between them. Hastily built bridges only crumble, and I want their bond to be strong, to last a very long time, if not forever, because I know that they have that potential.

Maybe thinking of their potential should've made me sad, envious… but it only made me happy. It's nice to know that there are some couples who, hardheaded blockheads though they are, are meant for each other.

I'd promised myself even before Kagome confessed her feelings that I would leave it up to them to break the ice. But now, from the silence, from the odd stillness… I was beginning to think that either they didn't need my help at all, or they needed it more than ever.

With a nervous sigh and a reassuring smile, I pushed open the door to find Kagome sitting cross-legged on her bed… staring straight at me.

All my fears turned to mush when a _huge _grin spread across her face and she said dazedly, "Hi, Rin."

I knew it would annoy her, but I couldn't help it—I burst out laughing. Who wouldn't? Her face was _funny! _

"What are you laughing about?" Kagome demanded, giggling her head off, sounding slightly intoxicated. Suddenly I changed my mind, wondering if she was just drunk… but, no. Of course not. Kagome wouldn't get drunk, and I knew Inuyasha wouldn't let her get drunk.

Or at least, if she _did _get drunk, he wouldn't risk leaving her alone. THAT I knew.

I grinned at Kagome, shaking my head, sitting in front of her. "So… how'd your family outing with Inuyasha go?"

That was when she lost control and leapt on top of me, choking me in one of her death-grip hugs, the hugs that make you feel more loved than you've ever felt before… and also more in danger of losing your life.

"Kagome," I gasped, "I… can't… breathe… I'm too… young… to die…"

She let go, leaning back, tipping her head back and laughing out loud. "Sorry!" she cried, gasping for breath. Looking at me again, grinning, she said, "I'm just… so… HAPPY!"

"AAAH! NO HUGS!"

We giggled together, and when I'd stopped shielding my face with my hands, and when she'd calmed down enough to concentrate, we did hug, just like I knew we would. Only this time it wasn't a death hug. This time it was a sisterly hug, a hug between best friends… a hug that showed me her utter bliss.

I smiled to myself, cause it was obvious what was making her so happy. But because I knew she would want to tell me, I grinned mischievously and teased, "Sooo… I take it nothing interesting happened with Inuyasha, hmm?"

"Rin, you _jerk!_" Kagome slapped me playfully on the shoulder, near tears with her laughter, and I found myself at the brink, too, laughing so hard I almost cried.

"Somebody's touchy!" I taunted, dodging her second blow. "Hmm… you must be really disappointed. I guess NOTHING happened at all, did it? Wow. That sucks."

This time, when we laughed, it felt like our chests were going to burst. Kagome leaned closer, grinning widely, took a deep breath, and said dramatically, "We…"

"You…?" I prompted, even though I didn't need to.

"We… _RIN, WE'RE TOGETHER!"_

And this time it was my turn to give the death hug.

"I'm so happy for you," I said, releasing her, pulling back to look at her, eyes shining as brightly as hers were. Grinning excitedly, I pushed for details. "Tell me _EVERYTHING. _Who kissed first? Are you going out now? Are you going on a first date?"

"I think we're skipping the dating phase entirely," Kagome confided, giggling to herself. "I'm his _girlfriend_."

And something about that must have broken through the haze in her mind, because she chose that moment for her eyes to widen, her lips to part. A blank look crossed her face as she flopped backward onto her pillow, staring at the ceiling. I barely heard her whisper, but it wouldn't have been hard to make out what she was saying.

"I'm his girlfriend," Kagome said breathlessly, smiling broadly. "He's my boyfriend."

Let's see: three… two… one…

"OH MY GOD, RIN!"

I burst out laughing, doubling over my stomach, laughing more than I had in days, in years, it felt. But then again, every laugh feels new to me. It's not like I always forget what laughing feels like, or that I never laugh. I laugh all the time, but somehow… the thrill of it, the thrill of feeling myself giggle helplessly, overwhelmed by humor and happiness, never fades.

I love laughing, and I think that it's just as vital to your health as food or water.

"Kagome?" I asked, biting my lip, trying to restrain my hysterics for long enough to speak.

She glanced at me, still smiling brightly. "What?"

A giggle escaped as I confessed, "You look like you're on drugs."

And laughing breathlessly, laughing in shock, Kagome groaned at me, rolling her eyes, looking away… before smiling and meeting my eyes with a bright gaze and saying, "I know. I feel like it, too."

We grinned at each other, and I could see how she felt from her face, that she felt high, walking on air… only this was a natural high, a healthy high.

"So," I said, smirking now, "You didn't tell me some other stuff. Like… who kissed who? Did you kiss him first or did he kiss you?"

I'm not usually the type to push for details, but I feel relaxed, open, outgoing when I'm around Kagome. She has that effect on people, I think, because she's naturally that way herself. Sometimes I envy her for it… she doesn't know that, though. But still, I'd never grudge her her talents. She's good at some things, I'm good at others, that's just how life works. I'm just thankful that she can make me feel like I do now… free. That's why she's my best friend.

I'm so, so happy for her. Not jealous—happy. When she's this happy, her happiness is my happiness.

So I laughed, too, when she frowned emphatically and admitted, "I don't know."

"You _don't know?_" I repeated in disbelief, staring at her, grinning widely.

She laughed, sitting up again, flushing. "I know, it's so lame. But I really can't remember. I think… it just sorta happened."

"Where'd it happen?" I asked, leaning forward.

She flushed a little, but I knew that even though she was embarrassed, she actually liked telling me about this kind of thing—we're soul-sisters. I'd tell her everything, too, if there were anything to tell.

_Would you? Would you really?_

The voice surprised me so much that I almost didn't hear Kagome's response. I frowned, eyebrows knitting… of course I would tell her. Right? What did I have to hide?

_Your feelings. Your true feelings for Sesshomaru._

Suddenly scared, I shut those thoughts out of my mind, eyes focusing on Kagome, who was frowning at me. "Rin? Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

I scolded myself mentally for momentarily interrupting her happiness. This was _her _we were supposed to be focusing on! Not me and my nonexistent love life. What was wrong with me?

"I'm fine," I said, smiling. "Go on."

Kagome wasn't quite convinced; I knew this from the way her lips thinned, her eyes tightened, her forehead knotted. But it seemed that she was willing to keep talking, willing to focus on herself… willing to do what I wanted her to do: forget about my problems.

So she nodded, allowing herself to sink back into bliss. "This is going to sound weird," she said, giggling.

I rolled my eyes, laughing, and in laughter, I forgot about Sesshomaru, about my feelings. In laughter, I joined her in her happiness, grinning as I said, "Try your worst."

So Kagome took a deep breath, smiled widely, and said, "It was in his car."

It took me a second to process her words before I cracked up.

"_In his car?_" I repeated, almost choking from laughter. That was _very _different from the fantasies she had shared with me, but okay… grinning, I said, "Not in the backseat, I hope."

"RIN!"

"Sorry, sorry!" I waved my hand in front of my face, giggling uncontrollably. "Couldn't resist!"

Kagome, after trying briefly to glare at me, burst out laughing, leaning forward. "I know… it's so unromantic," she coughed out between laughs. "But you know what? I think it was absolutely _perfect._ I wouldn't replay it any other way."

She sank back a little bit, smiling dreamily, probably imagining what had happened to lead up to the kiss. Deciding to prompt her, I asked, "So… how exactly did it happen? Did something build up to it or something?"

Kagome frowned, thinking, before saying, "Well, we were talking about Menomaru and Gatenmaru, and I told him I wanted to talk to Kaede, and he told me not to worry, that he'd protect me."

"THAT'S SO SWEET!"

"I guess," Kagome admitted, smiling just a tiny bit, "But still, it's frustrating. He's so… so… ugh. Overconfident! I really do need lessons more than once a week, and _no_ amount of kissing can change my mind." She giggled at that, lowered her voice, and whispered confidentially, "I wouldn't mind if he thinks it can, though."

We burst into hushed giggles.

"You little player," I teased, punching her on the shoulder.

"I'm _not _a player!" she said, glaring halfheartedly at me, too happy to actually be annoyed. Blushing, she admitted, "I just… well… I really like him."

I smirked. "And he's hot."

Her face was ignited with red flames as she said, "…That too."

We giggled together, grinning wildly, and I could tell from her eyes that she felt as if it weren't real, as if it were all happening to someone else, not her. It was a feeling I couldn't relate to. Being with Sesshomaru, even just standing in his presence, feels so _natural_ to me. Even if he's godlike in his looks, even if he has incredible strength and talent and brilliance… he's still Sesshomaru. It just feels… right. Like it was meant to be.

Too bad he doesn't feel it, too.

"Rin, what's wrong? I know something's up. Come on, tell me."

Tell her? It wasn't so much her happiness which stopped me from telling her. I knew that it made her more unhappy to be left in the dark, and for that, I felt terrible. But still… somehow I just couldn't say the words.

She thinks Sesshomaru's mean, like the rest of them. She just wouldn't understand.

She would tell me that I had to stop loving him, and that's something I can't do.

It was an odd feeling, realizing that for the first time, I couldn't confide in my sister. For the first time in my entire _life, _I was on my own. I'd always been able to tell her my secrets, and she'd always told me hers. She still told me hers. Who would've thought that it would be me who broke the pact?

Giving her a convincing smile, I said, "Nothing."

Kagome sighed and looked away, probably thinking that I would come clean and tell her everything eventually. And I almost wished that I would. But I knew that for the first time, that wasn't the case.

Having secrets made me feel more sad than empowered.

.x.x.

KAGOME POV

I hate alarm clocks.

Can you imagine what it's like, in the middle of a fitful sleep, to be _wrenched _from your dreams by a shrill, horrible SCREECHING two inches from your ear? I mean, really? Could they have invented anything more awful?

Groaning to myself, I pulled my hand out from beneath the covers, groping blindly until my fingers found the button. Snooze… snooze… where is that blessed thing…?

Found it.

Sighing in relief, I reveled in the silence, knowing I only had a few minutes to enjoy it, hoping I would fall asleep again but knowing that that was impossible.

Crap—it was a good dream, too.

I closed my eyes, sinking back into the mattress, thinking about… well… who else? Take a wild guess, guys—there's no pressure to get it right. It's not a test. All a wrong answer means is that you're a freaking moron.

…Really, it's not that hard.

I'm a real grump in the mornings, aren't I?

"KAGOME!"

I bolted upright in bed, staring around wildly, hand flying to my alarm clock, ready to choke it to death. But to my temporary disorientation: it wasn't ringing. Unfortunately, the screaming which had me paralyzed came from an alarm clock which I _can't _smash into a wall… tempting as it sometimes is.

I sighed. Better answer before my mom breaks down the door.

"I'm up, I'm up," I said, rubbing sleep out of my eyes. Just for the record, going to bed thinking about your new boyfriend is _not _a good idea. Pleasant? Yes. Sleep-inducing? Not quite.

…Wait a minute…

OH MY GOD, INUYASHA'S MY FREAKING BOYFRIEND!

Funny, how things sometimes only sink in after you've slept. Well, that was definitely what was happening now. Despite the fact that I'd spent the last waking hours of last night thinking about him, despite the fact that I'd spent the last five hours _dreaming _about him—and NO, NOT IN A MIROKU WAY. If it was in a _Miroku _way, do you think I'd be ADMITTING IT TO MYSELF?—despite all that, still, it felt like I'd only just realized it now. Only just realized what it meant.

_BEEEEP, BEEEEP, BEEEP._

Alarm clock? It is time for you to DIE.

And with a vicious fist, I brought judgment upon the button, effectively silencing it for the next twenty-four hours.

15-luv. IN YOUR FACE.

"Kagome, Inuyasha's on the phone for you!"

"WHAT?"

Those were the only words my mother could have said to distract me from my mental, tennis-like war against alarm-clock kind. I ran out of my bedroom, kicking open my door, nearly falling into my mother's arms—eyes zoning in on the one thing in her hands. THE PHONE. Snatching it aggressively away from her with disturbing possessiveness, possibly making her question my mental health even more than she already does, I sprinted back into my bedroom and slammed the door shut.

Taking deep breaths until I resuscitated my lungs.

Kagome for the win.

"Hello?" I said innocently, grinning.

I could hear him laughing on the other end of the phone even before he said, "Hey. Is this Rin? I've never heard Kagome talk like a normal person before."

My eyes narrowed even though I knew he couldn't see me. "You _jerk! _If you don't be careful, I'm gonna strangle you through the phone."

I could almost see him smirking as he said, "Well, let's see if you can do that before I kiss you through the phone."

Ooh. Major blush. Dang it.

"YOU'RE KAGOME'S BOYFRIEND!" I burst out, saying the first thing that came to mind. "You're not supposed to be FLIRTING with her SISTER, Inuyasha." With a menacing smile which sadly would be completely lost on him, I added, "At least not if you value your balls."

And then, just because the moment was too perfect, just because this whole conversation was so inanely AMAZING, we burst into hysterics.

"Sorry, Rin," Inuyasha choked out through laughter. "Put Kagome over."

I sunk my teeth deeply into my lip, trying not to crack up again… cause I had a feeling once I started, I wouldn't stop. "She's already here, idiot," I said, a softness entering my voice as I smiled.

I could almost see him grinning.

"About time."

"So… why'd you call me?" I asked, smirking. "I mean, besides to flirt via telephone."

I blushed deeply when he said, "You gotta admit, telephone flirting is hot."

_"HEY!_"

"Sorry, sorry," he sniggered. His tone suddenly changed, abruptly becoming curious… no longer teasing. I've noticed that about him—he'll spew some crap one minute, just off the top of his head, and the next, he becomes a completely different person. "Hey, Kagome. Have you told anyone about… you know… us?"

The faded blush returned as I fidgeted with the hem of my pajama shirt. "Just Rin. My mom doesn't know yet, and neither does Grandpa… oh, god. When Grandpa finds out, he's gonna throw a fit."

"Why?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

I sighed a little, wondering whether I should tell him. Would it matter? Would it hurt his feelings? Suddenly I was filled with dread… what if my grandfather would offend him?

"Well," I said evasively, "For one thing, he's _really _overprotective. Like a worst-case-scenario dad, the kind that wouldn't let his daughter date until she was thirty… if he had any control."

There was a pause, and then Inuyasha said warily, "That's not all, is it?"

Sighing minutely, I confessed, "Grandpa's afraid of demons. He's going to freak out about you being half demon… when and if you meet him, don't take anything he says personally, okay? Between you and me," I said, giggling, "He's sorta senile."

"Don't worry," Inuyasha said, laughing. "I can handle some smelly old guy."

_"Inuyasha!" _

Apparently my scolding didn't come across as harsh over the telephone, because I could still hear muffled laughter on the other end. Glaring, I opened my mouth to tell him to shut up—and then I got a better idea.

Let's call this an experiment.

So with a grin, I said sweetly, "Inuyasha, sit."

BOOM.

"It worked!" I cried out in glee, doubling over, barely able to hold the phone in my shaking hands. "Over the _telephone!_"

Over my hysterical laughter, I could only hear his menacing growl… which, I'll admit, is pretty scary even over the phone.

"WENCH… when I get over there, you just _wait_…"

I gulped. "Right… I'll just wait, then…" Frowning, I said, "Wait, you're coming over here?"

I heard a smirk in his voice as he said, "I was gonna ask if you and Rin wanted a ride to school. But then again, if you're just gonna sit me for it… maybe I'll take it back…"

…Silence.

"KIDDING!" he said hastily, voice infused with fear. I grinned; obviously, my deathly silences do transcend telephone wires. "So… do you want a ride or not? Oi, are you really mad at me?"

I smiled despite myself at that. Sometimes, Inuyasha could be such a kid. "Of course not, Inuyasha," I said patiently, my lips quirking. "I'm just teasing you. And we'd love a ride."

I could picture him smiling as he said, "Great. I'll pick you up in twenty. And… let's try to avoid your psycho grandpa, okay?"

My face stretched into a wide grin. "Sounds great. See you soon."

"I'll be right over, wench."

And then—probably to avoid me sitting him—he hung up, leaving me smiling. I could almost picture him giving me the Inuyasha Grin… his trademark.

The grin which, despite the fact that it makes me want to rip my eyes out… I fear I am at high risk of coming to adore.

.x.x.

I sniffed curiously as I approached the kitchen table, fully clothed, backpack packed, teeth brushed, etc., etc. "Pancakes?" I asked, frowning. "What's the special occasion?"

My mother turned away from the griddle to give me what must have been the scariest grin I've ever seen in my life. "Oh… nothing. Just celebrating your first boyfriend."

CHOKING… CHOKING…

"WHAT?"

I whirled around to stare at Sota and Grandpa, who had joined in my shocked outburst, crumbs of pancakes dripping down their chins. There is something really, really wrong here. Either they know about Inuyasha, or they just decided at that moment to shriek, WHAT?, but either way, something is just not right about this.

Gaping at my mother, I opened my mouth to speak, but found nothing to say.

"Morning, Kagome," a cheerful voice said. I focused on Rin, sitting very calmly in her seat, smiling up at me.

TRAITOR.

"Did you tell them?" I hissed, eyes wide, bulging out of my skull.

Rin frowned at me, looking horrified that I'd ever jump to such a conclusion. "Of course not! I didn't even know she knew until just now. The phone call must have tipped her off."

I nodded, taking that in. "Sorry," I said quickly. Wryly, I added, "I guess I should've expected it."

I turned around to glare at my mother, and then decided with my usual stupidity to take a completely different approach: a sweet smile and cold denial. "What are you talking about? I don't have a boyfriend."

Definition of innocence, Kagome.

Sota, for one, looked really creeped out by my change of mood. "Uh… Kagome? What's with the scary smile…?"

"IT'S A _SWEET _SMILE! What, I can't be sweet once in awhile?" I demanded, forgetting for an instant to, well, smile sweetly. Then, realizing I'd completely blown my cover, I sighed and said, "Fine. I have a boyfriend."

Grandpa looked like he was about to have an aneurysm.

"WHO?" Sota demanded, looking excited.

"WHO?" Grandpa demanded, looking rabid.

I exchanged a glance with Rin, both preparing for the volcanic explosion. At least we were taking a deep breath—it might tide us over for awhile after the ash buries us.

"Inuyasha Takahashi."

Utter silence.

Sota was the first to break it. With a confused frown and raised eyebrows which clearly questioned my sanity, he asked sardonically, "Isn't that the boy who made you cry two weeks ago?"

"NO! Well, yes," I said, blushing. "But he's not as much of a jerk as I thought he was."

Sota nodded slowly. And then with a smirk, he said, "So… were you guys fighting, and then you just started making out or something?"

One day, this kid is going to end up on my hit list.

"SOTA…" I growled, really, _really _wishing I had a kotodama to give to _him, _too, "GO TO YOUR ROOM… er… I mean… GO TO SCHOOL!"

They looked at me like I was crazy.

Apparently deciding that my twitching eyelids were not an object of concern, Grandpa frowned at me and said, "He's not pressuring you into anything, is he? I swear, if he is, I will personally—"

"GRANDPA!" I cut him off, giggling nervously and a little maniacally. "Don't worry. He's not pressuring me. And if he _does… _trust me when I say I can take care of myself," I said, smirking.

They didn't know the half of it.

My mother laughed at that, grinning at me. "That's my girl." Turning to her dad, she smiled at him and said, "You don't have to worry about Inuyasha, though. He really is a darling boy. It was obvious he liked you when you introduced him to me." She winked. "I'm proud of you, Kagome."

A vein twitched in my forehead. Okay, first: _darling? _Sure, he's good looking, and he definitely can be sweet when he lets his guard down, but _darling? _Was my mother even more insane than I thought? And second: had everyone known that he had feelings for me this whole time? Wait… how _long _has he had feelings for me?

"Well, I'll judge the boy for myself when I meet him," Grandpa growled.

And then, because I have awesome timing like that, I said the worst nine words I could have possibly chosen to say.

"Please don't make a scene when he gets here!"

Cue volcanic explosion.

"HE'S COMING HERE?"

"WHEN'S HE GETTING HERE?"

"I WANT TO FEEL HIS EARS AGAIN!"

"HIS _EARS?_"

"YES, HIS DOG EARS—"

"HE HAS _DOG EARS?_"

Ding-dong.

Without further ado I threw a pancake in my mouth, grabbed Rin by the wrist, and sprinted to the door, throwing it open and nearly tackling Inuyasha in my effort to get away from my family, dragging both he and Rin to his car and not stopping until we were there.

"DRIVE! DRIVE!"

Looking seriously freaked out and also _really seriously _about to crack up, Inuyasha floored it.

.x.x.

"So… that screaming was your family?" he asked when we had all stopped laughing.

I nodded, wiping tears out of my eyes. "Yeah. Somehow my omniscient mother figured out that you were my boyfriend, and then… well… it all went downhill from there. Anyway, thanks for listening to me and getting us out of there—it's way too early in the day for a confrontation."

Leaning back against the headrest of the passenger seat, I took deep breaths, taking a moment to catch my breath, to enjoy his hand clasped over mine… my fingers interlocked with his. You would think that being nearly suffocated by my family would make me a little too traumatized to think about how nice his skin feels, but apparently not.

I smiled to myself, squeezing his fingers tighter, grinning when he squeezed back.

"You've got a nice car," Rin chirped from the backseat. "It's really shiny!"

I felt a little guilty that she had ended up in the backseat; Rin will never be a third wheel, and I didn't want her to feel like one. But apparently she didn't mind, because she grinned up at us. Inuyasha turned around to grin back at her, saying with a smug smile, "Lamborghini."

Choking… again…

"I'm riding in a _Lamborghini?_" I growled. Great. Not only a 100,000 dollar hunk of Tokyo metal, but a LAMBORGHINI?

What is the world coming to?

Inuyasha smirked at me. "You didn't notice yesterday?"

"I don't know cars," I said sulkily.

"Neither do I," he confessed, to my surprise. Grinning, he added, "I just know _my _car—cause it's the best. And if I were you, I'd get used to it."

And despite myself, I found myself grinning at him.

.x.x.

When school came into view, I felt a low panic rising in my throat.

"Here we are!" Rin said when we parked, smiling brightly like the school was the most beautiful place in the world.

I glanced at her, unable to tell what she was so excited about. Rin has always liked school; whether or not she liked the people in it, she never let them get in the way of her enjoying her classes. Well, with the exception of math. She always hated math. But although learning makes her happy, I've never seen her glowing like this. Like it's a new day, a new life, a new beginning… which it definitely feels sort of like to me, but to Rin? Why is she so excited?

I grinned at her, deciding to just come out and ask. "What are you so happy about?"

"Just stuff in general," she said, flushing. Smirking at me, she said, "You know… a new week, seeing Sango and Miroku again, you and Inuyasha making out in his car…"

We both went bright red at that, and by the time we'd recovered, Rin was already out of the car and sprinting away as fast as she could.

"HEY! RIN! WE DIDN'T MAKE OUT!"

A bit too late, but better late than never.

Evil little sister.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at me, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "What did you tell her?"

Eyes widening, going even _brighter _red, I squeaked, "Nothing! She's just messing with us." Seeing that he was still smirking, I glared at him and growled, "I didn't tell her we made out! I don't lie about stuff like that."

But the smirk remained in place as he said, "Then what did you tell her?"

"Oh… you know… just that we're together… and we kissed… in your car…" Or at least I think that's what I said; I was kinda high at the time, so it's hard to remember…

Inuyasha cracked up.

"This sounds bad, doesn't it?" I moaned, covering my face in my hands, suddenly feeling insecure. "I'm sorry! I'm really not a gossipy kind of person! I don't do stuff like that! I respect you! I'm sorry!"

But before I could keep babbling and make myself look like even more of an idiot than I already had, Inuyasha took my hands and brought them gently away from my face. I looked up at him, blushing, but before I could say anything his lips were on mine, slow, sweet.

He pulled away just an inch, and we rested our foreheads together. "Oi. Don't go freaking out about nothing. Even if you'd told her we made out, I wouldn't care."

"You wouldn't care?" I asked in surprise.

Inuyasha pulled backward to give me a small grin. "I don't care what other people think. I like you, and I know you wouldn't mean it to gossip about me. So why worry about everyone else?"

I grinned at him, taking his hands in mine, about to kiss him again… until something occurred to me.

"Hey," I said, eyes narrowed, "You're not being so understanding because _you _told somebody something, are you?"

Inuyasha paled visibly.

Feeling my throat knot, I squeezed his hands rather harder than necessary and smiled menacingly. "Inuyasha… what did you say… choose your words carefully, or I might make it so that you can never speak again…"

"Uh…" he said, backing up, "Well, I…"

"INUYASHA, _SI—_"

He leapt forward, laughing as he clapped a hand over my mouth. "It was a joke!" he said hastily. "I didn't really tell anyone anything!"

I exhaled slowly, glaring daggers at him. The second he took his hand away I growled, "YOU JERK!" Slapping his arm playfully and ineffectually, I grinned and said, "You're going to pay for that."

"Yeah?" He grinned widely, leaning forward. "How?"

I leaned forward, very slowly… and then abruptly rubbed his ears. "HA! They're so cute!"

Inuyasha jumped violently, slapping my hands away. "Oi! Don't touch the ears!"

"Too late," I said, giggling as I took my hands back.

A grin entered his voice and face as he said, "_You're _the one who's going to pay now."

"Yeah? How?" I mimicked him.

Inuyasha grinned, getting out of the car. I followed him out on my side, meeting him at the front as he looked at me, grinned triumphantly, and said, "You have to be the one to tell Miroku and Sango about us."

Oh no. Oh, no, no, no, no, _no._

"Not a chance," I said immediately, turning and walking away, not sure exactly where _to. _But Inuyasha was having none of that. He caught me by the waist and pulled me to him, hugging me to his chest, which normally I wouldn't have minded all that much except for the fact that I was FREAKING PETRIFIED.

"Not only a chance, but a fact," he said, smirking.

"You can't leave me alone to face them!" I squealed. "They… they… they'll eat me!"

I could feel and hear him laughing as he said, "You won't be alone. I won't let them eat you. All you have to do is say the words."

Yeah, right.

"Fine," I grumbled. "We were going to have to do this anyway, I guess. It's not like we're keeping this a secret. But we're here pretty early, and they probably won't be here for another ten minutes! We have time." Frowning, momentarily forgetting my nervousness, I said, "Maybe we should go find Rin…"

Inuyasha let me go, and I turned around to look at him, sensing that he was about to speak. "She's fine," he assured me. "You don't have to be all protective of her, you know. You're both sixteen, and you're practically joined at the hip. And it's not like that's a bad thing, but she's got to learn to be independent, and she'll never do that if you're always looking after her."

I glared at the ground, but biting my lip, I realized his words hit home. "I know," I said, sighing. "I'm just so used to it. I always looked after her in Okinawa."

"Well, this is Tokyo," he said gently. His voice was firm but comforting as he put his hands on my shoulders and told me, "Let her have a fresh start, find her own way. She'll be fine… you just have to let her show you."

Those words meant worlds to me, and I wanted him to know just how he had touched my heart. So I did the natural thing: stood on my tiptoes, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him, smiling against his lips when his arms slid around my waist.

.x.x.

~SANGO AND MIROKU~

Sango's alarm clock, unfortunately, had a fever that morning.

She woke groggily to her parents' voices downstairs, turning over under the quilt. She knew vaguely that she should get up, that something was out of place, but her fatigued mind wouldn't focus enough for her to question it.

_What is it… what's wrong…?_

Squinted eyes slid to her clock… and wrenched open wide.

"WHY DIDN'T ANYONE WAKE ME UP?"

Sango leapt out of bed, throwing the quilt off of her body. _Where the hell is Kohaku? _Usually the boy was downstairs playing video games around this time, but there were no sharp exclamations of anger or excitement… no loud music or gunshots ripping the first floor…

"Sango! Get up, quick, you're late!"

Biting back the urge to say that she was perfectly aware of that, Sango pulled her shirt over her head and muttered, "I know, I know. I'm coming."

She didn't see why it was such a big deal. Yes, she had been planning to walk to school with Kagome, Rin, Inuyasha, and Miroku, but obviously that wasn't happening now, so she would just take her car. _It's not the end of the world, _she thought, groaning quietly.

She stomped down the stairs, bags under her eyes, shoveling down a bowl of cereal, trying to control her temper. True, she wasn't a morning person, but she didn't usually wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Why, then, did she feel so aggravated now?

Even Sango didn't have an answer for that.

"Hurry, Sango," her mother urged.

"I might be able to eat faster if I didn't have you staring me down the whole time," Sango pointed out, managing a smirk.

Flushing a little, Sango's mother apologized. "Sorry, sorry. But you do need to hurry; Miroku is waiting for you."

That was what made Sango spit out her cereal.

"_What?_" she said, tears in her eyes, still coughing as she tried to force a sip of water down her throat.

Her mother seemed alarmed. "Miroku," she said, raising an eyebrow warily. "You know… one of your best friends since sixth grade… the boy you always slap whenever he touches your butt…"

"Yes, I know who he is!" Sango said, voice becoming a little high as she jumped to her feet, putting her bowl away. "What I meant was, why is he here?"

Sango couldn't tell whether her mother was smiling or smirking when she replied, "Picking you up, of course. Better hurry."

_And he chose NOT to tell me this?_

Sango sighed, shaking her head minutely as she grabbed her backpack. "See you," she called, waving as she ran out the door. "Tell Kohaku to feel better!"

And with that, she turned and ran over to Miroku's car: sleek and atrociously purple, just like usual. Grinning, Sango couldn't help but admit that there were some aspects of Miroku's quirkiness which she enjoyed.

"Hey, Miroku."

Miroku turned a dazzling grin her way, the same grin which earned him admirers across the high school. _Naïve admirers who don't know his true nature, _Sango thought, just a touch of vehemence tainting her thoughts. Blushing, she added hastily, _Not like I care about them!_

This was one of those times when she wished that she had a word like Inuyasha's _Keh._

"Sango, my dearest!" Miroku exclaimed, still grinning widely as he reached for her hand, bringing it quickly to his lips before she could pull away.

Sango rolled her eyes, biting her lip to keep from smirking as she slid into the passenger seat. "Will you stop with the _dearest _stuff?"

"If it displeases you, my dear. My wish is your command."

Sango raised her eyebrows at him, and Miroku, thinking that perhaps such a promise wasn't entirely wise, turned back to the road, lips twitching.

They watched the streets pass by around them, enveloped in a comfortable silence. "You know," Miroku said suddenly, "It is when one can share a comfortable silence with a person that one knows that that person is special."

Sango blushed slightly at that, for she had been reflecting on something very similar: the peace, the ease she felt as she sat in his car with the top down, just enjoying the wind in her hair and his thoughtful smile. But recovering herself, shaking these thoughts from her mind, she grinned at him and said, "You sound like a bad fortune cookie."

Miroku smirked. "Always, my love."

Rolling her eyes, Sango returned her attention to her nails, cut short and unpainted. It was an odd thing, that she would waste time thinking about something as trivial as her nails. But still, she found herself thinking an unsettling thought: were her nails unattractive, boring, plain?

The thought was unsettling not because of the meaning itself, but because she had been worrying about such a thing at all.

Her face reddened as she thought, _Miroku doesn't seem to mind._

For that thought, she wanted to slap herself.

"So," she said, jerking her head up to arch an eyebrow at Miroku, to distract herself from her plain nails on her lap. "What's with the surprise appearance?"

Miroku shrugged, smiling. "Is a friend not allowed to give a friend a ride to school?"

A small crease appeared on Sango's brow, the smallest of frowns… a frown which would have been invisible to anyone except Miroku, who knew her better than anyone. _What is she thinking about? _Miroku wondered, frowning himself. _Why does she look… _And then he trailed off, realizing with surprise exactly what Sango looked like.

Disappointed… confused and disappointed.

Sango sighed, wondering why his words somehow didn't seem right. They were innocent enough. _And as far as I can tell, they don't hint at some kind of innuendo, _Sango thought wryly, _Which is definitely uncommon for Miroku… so why do they seem wrong?_

"I guess so," Sango said, voice quiet.

Mentally slapping herself, telling herself to recover, to get a grip, to remember whom she was speaking to, Sango grinned at Miroku, intending to tease him… but whatever she had been about to say slipped out of mind when she saw the questions in his eyes.

And instead she blurted something which had been on her mind for awhile.

"You've been acting weird lately," Sango said, giving him a piercing stare. "First, a little over a month ago, you stopped going out. I don't understand. Why no more girlfriends?"

Miroku had to admit that he was taken aback by this observation of hers. "Well, my dear, I didn't think that it would _bother _you to see me single, but I suppose—"

"NO!" Blushing at her outburst, grimacing, Sango sighed and said, "It doesn't bother me. But it's… weird. You still flirt, you still tease—and I don't really blame you for that either, cause I have a feeling that it's sort of like water for you, and as annoying as you are, you don't deserve to die. But still… you never ask anyone out, never accept any of your admirers… why?"

And for a moment, Miroku considered telling her. For a moment, Miroku thought about saying that he never asked anyone out because he had lost interest in all other girls, never accepted anyone because it would be yet another wall between him and the one who had stolen his heart… for a moment, Miroku gathered his courage to tell her everything.

But before he could open his mouth to speak, she was already shaking her head.

"Never mind," Sango said. "I don't care."

The words couldn't have been further from the truth, but something inside her knew she was not ready to realize that; something inside her, a subconscious or conscience, knew that the time would come when she would realize everything. But now was not the time, and for the moment, all Sango could do was grimace and wade through a headache of confusion.

_I don't care. Why should I care?_

But despite her self assurances, she found herself continuing to ask the questions which she told herself meant nothing.

"There's other things," Sango said, fiddling with her fingers in her lap.

Fidgeting. It wasn't common that she would fidget, show her weak side—Miroku was one of the only people she would show her weak side to. Miroku was the shoulder she had cried on when her father's gut had been sliced open by a Mantis demon, Miroku was the will of iron who had held her up while her father healed. Miroku was the friend who made her laugh, who let her cry, who dried her tears…

_Other than my family, Miroku is the closest person to me in the world, _Sango admitted. _Even closer than Inuyasha._

…_Even if he does have some impulse control issues._

"What other things?" Miroku asked, reminding her of her question.

Sango woke from her reminiscing. _Other things… _"You walked me home last Saturday," she said. "And now… the car ride… I don't understand."

A slight smile on his face, Miroku said, "I don't see why these things would confuse you, Sango. They seem like common courtesies."

"That's the thing!" Sango burst out. "They _do _seem like common courtesies! But… but…"

The smile gone, replaced by an intense stare, Miroku looked at her and said, "You have a feeling they are not?"

He had read her exactly.

Sango nodded and said firmly, "I know they're not."

It was surprising, relieving, to find that she was certain of the truth of these words.

The school approached and they parked, stepping out of the car. Miroku made a beeline for Sango's door, intending to open it for her, but to his dismay she was already leaning against it, waiting for him, apparently oblivious to his intentions.

Sango glanced his way, frowning, realizing that Miroku looked disappointed about something. "Hey, is everything okay?"

His face twisted as he looked down, confirming her suspicions that there was something going on, something he was keeping from her. Miroku glanced at her. _I need to know how she feels. I just _need _to._

"Sango," he said, trying not to rush his words, "I need to speak to you about something."

Her heart thudded against her chest. "Yeah?"

He gulped, but straightened his shoulders, looking her in the eye. "The concert," he explained. "I'm not sure if I made myself clear before, about the concert on Saturday, but… I would like to ask you something now."

Smirking a little, Sango said, "Just spit it out already, Miroku."

"Sango…" it took effort to repress his blush, but he maintained eye contact as he said, "Will you go to the concert with me? Not as friends, but… as a date?"

Sango stared at him.

There was a beat of silence while their hearts raced, while Miroku began to feel the need to fondle the edge of his shirt. When he couldn't bear it any longer, he said, "My apologies, Sango. I did think when we discussed this at the gift exchange that it was under the assumption that it would be a date. If somehow I misunderstood, and it was unclear, then I am very sorry… I don't want to pressure you into anything. I don't want to force you to have feelings which you don't feel—"

"MIROKU!"

She couldn't stand it, hearing the desperation which he could not keep completely out of his voice. He stared at her, eyes widening when he realized she was smiling.

"I understood perfectly." She smirked. "And as long as you remember my rules… then it's still a… a date."

_Oh my god, I'm going to blush. Please, please, please don't blush…!_

Swearing silently, Sango blushed.

_Shit._

But her swearing and embarrassment were forgotten when she saw Miroku's face, a wide smile stretched across it. "Thank you, Sango, dearest," he said earnestly.

"Need to add another rule," Sango growled. "Don't call me _dearest._"

Miroku grinned.

They met in a smile, a wide, slightly nervous but completely mutual smile which made them glow. And maybe they would have said something else, maybe one of them would have said the words which they both ached to say, but at that moment, Sango and Miroku saw something beside a bright red Lamborghini—_Inuyasha's _Lamborghini—which yanked their tongues out of their mouths, tied them in triple knots, and shoved them back down their throats.

Inuyasha and Kagome.

In a tight embrace.

With their faces pressed together.

"OH. MY. _GOD._"

.x.x.

~KAGOME POV~

When Inuyasha pulled away, gawked at something over my shoulder, and paled to the pallor of a corpse, I knew something was very, very wrong.

"Oh _fuck_," he said, face twisting into an expression of utter horror.

With growing certainty, I began to think that I knew exactly what he was looking at. But I still turned around and looked to make sure I was right—and to stop myself from having a complete mental breakdown.

Then I saw them.

_CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP—_

"RUN!" Inuyasha shouted, grabbing by hand as we sprinted for the main entrance. Okay, yes, we'd been planning to tell them about our new relationship, yes, we were going to have to face them eventually, but we had _not _planned THIS. Caught kissing in the parking lot—_oh my god I'm going to die_—by Sango and Miroku? Interrogated and laughed at to death right after we were finally together? Nope. Not gonna happen, not in my life time.

So we fled, but unfortunately, Sango and Miroku were having none of that.

We skidded to a stop when a Hiraikotsu slashed the air in front of us, our jaws unhinging. "Are you trying to _kill _us?" we demanded, whirling around to see Sango catch the boomerang—which was usually inconspicuously tied to her back until she tried to _attack _with it—and continue running toward us.

"Of course not!" Sango yelled. And maybe that would've comforted me, but her and Miroku's widened eyes—and the fact that they were growing so big that it looked like they might swallow Tokyo (which no longer sounded as funny as it might once have)—were enough to set my heart racing.

Inuyasha and I exchanged a glance, knowing we had just seconds to decide what to say before Sango and Miroku were holding us by our throats. Sharing his gaze gave me the courage I needed to face our friends, who had stopped running and started gawking.

Inuyasha spoke first. "What are you two freaking out about now?" he demanded.

They stared at us. "Well," Sango said, catching her breath, "We were just getting to school, and we thought we saw something _interesting _by your car… care to explain?"

Oh no. Don't blush, _please _don't blush. This is not the time for blushing! STOP IT!

Nonchalant, Inuyasha shrugged, and I stared at him, wondering how the heck he was being so calm. Noticing my stare, Inuyasha stiffened briefly before turning sly eyes to meet mine… and we shared a smirk, a tiny, fleeting smirk which was enough to revive all my confidence, enough to set my heart racing. Our smirks growing wider even as we tried to beat them down, we turned to face Sango and Miroku.

It's showtime, guys.

…And please, oh please, don't let the spotlights fall on me and crack my skull open. That would suck.

"It's obvious you wanna ask us something," Inuyasha said, smirking. "So just ask it already."

As he spoke, his hand found its way to mine, and I squeezed it, interweaving our fingers. Sango, on the other hand, wasn't taking this as silently as me and Inuyasha were. In fact, her eyes looked like they were literally about to explode out of their sockets… and despite the awesome distraction this would provide, I really, _really _didn't want Sango's eyeballs rolling around on the asphalt.

So I watched her eyes with trepidation, and her mouth with even _more _trepidation when it spread into a wide, evil, absolutely _Sango _grin.

"Hey… are you trying to tell me that you two… are… _together?_"

I really don't think that I can handle _two _volcanic explosions in the same day.

To my relief, Inuyasha seemed to have this confrontation covered. I gave him a suspicious glare when he suddenly grinned, first at me, then at the frothing Sango and Miroku. "Together?" he said innocently. "Nah, we're not together." I'd just finished hoping that my glare would stab him through the brain when his grin widened and he said significantly, "If we were _together_… we would probably… oh, you know… do—"

"_This?_"

I really don't know what made me say it, or do it. Maybe I was tired of having _him _do all the Sango-and-Miroku-shocking? Maybe _I _wanted to be the one to finish the job, to have the last laugh? Maybe I'd gone _insane _and sprouted an alter ego, one even crazier than I am?

One that would do something like _throw her arms around Inuyasha's neck, in front of his best friends, and press her lips to his?_

…Maybe I should be a little less inhibited sometimes, cause I don't think he minded, and the reactions I got from Sango and Miroku were CLASSIC.

When we pulled away, his hands were still on my waist, his eyes glowing with an energy and happiness which I knew was mirrored in my own. I'm not sure if it felt the same way to him—though I have a feeling it did—but I felt alive, lighter than air. It was like… this was the seal on the envelope, the lock on the door. This was the confirmation, the revelation that we were really here, together in more ways than one… and I planned to stay that way.

This was it.

And then I began to think that this really _was _it, that we were going to die, here in the parking lot, accidentally murdered by an overexcited pair of friends.

"YOU _ARE _GOING OUT!" Sango cried out, halfway between a gasp, an accusation, and an exclamation.

"Why did you keep this a secret from me?" Miroku demanded, punching Inuyasha on the shoulder, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Good for you!"

Sango took a moment to inhale deeply, probably trying to remember how to breathe. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…"

"Sango," I said, laughing, "It's okay, calm down—"

And then I was crushed by the arms of a strong, hyper, happy demon slayer.

"I don't know why on Earth you're putting up with an idiot like Inuyasha, but I'm so happy for you!" she cried, burying her head in my shoulder.

I raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha, who shrugged… and then realized what Sango had said. "Oi!"

Grinning, I wondered if maybe Inuyasha was an idiot after all… before deciding that it didn't matter. Idiot or not, Inuyasha Takahashi is _my _idiot.

Wow… _my _idiot? When did I get possessive?

I blushed a little, and he noticed, quirking an eyebrow. Shaking my head minutely, I laughed to myself, hushed peals of laughter pouring out of me. _My idiot. _Possessive, maybe… but I couldn't help it. After all, he's my first boyfriend, and he's _him. _The one I _want. _I think it's normal to be a little possessive, a little protective, especially when the relationship is so new. It's fresh, it's open, it's filling me with an inexplicable joy which I couldn't get rid of even if I wanted to. In it's newness, it has _power_… the power to make even me possessive, the power to captivate me wholly and completely. One day, maybe I'll get used to it, to the idea that we're together, that he returns my feelings… but for now, there's no way I'm gonna take it for granted.

I couldn't even if I tried, because his every grin reminds me of how absurdly happy I am.

"Thanks, Sango," I said, laughing, rolling my eyes.

"How long have you been going out?" she asked, suddenly suspicious. "Have you been secretly dating?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "We loathed each other a little over a week ago, Sango. We couldn't have been _secretly dating _for too long."

Glaring playfully, I said, "Well, I didn't realize we _loathed _each other quite that much…"

Sensing a sit coming on, Inuyasha reddened and stuttered, "Well—uh—"

And then, switching my mood instantly, I smiled. "It's okay."

A little uneasy but still relieved, he grinned back at me. And grinning, I reflected on what I'd just learned.

He was insecure, too.

The thought that he shared my nervousness, regardless of his cocky attitude, gave me courage… which was definitely something I was going to need.

"Anyway," I said, turning to Sango to answer her question, "No, we haven't been secretly dating. We just got together yesterday."

"We'll talk more about this later," Sango said, aiming a meaningful smirk my way. Her face turned more serious as she looked to both Inuyasha and I, saying, "So… are you guys going public about this?"

We shrugged simultaneously; it wasn't an issue we'd thought much about. "I guess so," I said, turning to Inuyasha, a faint blush rising to my cheeks.

He grinned reassuringly. "Don't worry. It'll be fine."

"I know that," I said immediately. "Why would I be worried?"

"Well…" he slipped an arm around my waist, "I guess we'll see."

Sango and Miroku walked beside us, snickering all the way. "Public display of affection, much?"

"SHUT UP!"

Somehow, bonded in that moment of embarrassment and irritation, we drew confidence from each other, drew closer without realizing it. I leaned into him and he tightened his arm around my waist, and without speaking, we knew that the physical contact was absolutely necessary.

This was it. This was the moment. This was when we would prove to the world what I realized our insecure sides were still trying to prove to ourselves:

We're right together, and we're going to _stay _together.

But I was too happy to be insecure, too excited to think about that part of me, that part which will shrink over time but never vanish completely. Held against him, one arm holding him against me, I took a deep breath… and smiled.

And we walked toward the school, prepared to face what felt like the first day all over again.

x.x.

**A/N: DID YOU LIKE THIS? I was worried that Sango and Miroku's reactions were sort of dry. Agree? Disagree?**

**Anyway, before thanking my reviewers, I would like to ask your advice for a little thing which I call "Fluff Management." xD Now that Kagome and Inuyasha are actually going out (FINALLY! AND I AM **_**THRILLED **_**ABOUT IT!) I'd like some tips for how to manage their relationship and such. I'll tell you this now: this story is not one of those which just ends once they've gotten together. For one thing, we've got all the other plots and relationships going on, and for another, Kagome and Inuyasha are not done yet. Their relationship has just begun. xD **

**But along the way, I'd like some advice about fluff management (still love that phrase. I called it xD). Like how often should I include fluffy scenes, etcetera, etcetera? How often is good, how often is too little, how often is overdoing it? (Is there such a thing as overdoing it? O.O xP) I could probably do pretty well going by instinct, but I'd still like your opinions! This is the first time I've written something which focuses mainly on relationships! **

**I GOT OVER THIRTY REVIEWS SINCE THE LAST CHAPTER! Give it up for Suzeheart, ninjagurl512, HelloGoodbye, k and ai, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, Roses Kiss, xbeautyxxisxxlifex, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, BGuate224, Sakura-Suzumura, Daichilover, LunaP, Jennaha11, xXthenextbookwormXx, hihi123, Tomatosoup inc., inuyashafan, Silverstella, iheartinuyasha, MidnightFlame325, AutumnroseHigurashi, and GoldenRose88 for reviewing! LOVE YOU GUYS! AND ALL MY READERS! REVIEWWWWWWWWWWWW! (and ignore the extra W's xD)**


	61. Leap and Glide

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hey guys! There's Kagome and Inuyasha POV in this chapter, and Rin/Sess! Enjoy! :D**

.x.x.

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE: LEAP AND GLIDE

I really had to feel sort of bad for Koga.

"You're… what… _together?_" he choked out.

The poor, deluded guy looked like he was going into shock while he stared at our interlocked hands. I almost felt like screaming: THEY'RE HANDS, KOGA! _HANDS! MANOS! LOS MANOS, KOGA, MIRE LOS MANOS!_

…But I didn't. Cause, you know, I don't know SPANISH.

"Yeah, idiot. Screw off."

Although it was easy to tell that he felt _great _being able to tell Koga off without looking like an idiot, Inuyasha seemed just as on edge as I was about the whole _attention _thing. You know, the feeling that wherever we and our evidently fascinating hands (and I'm not saying we don't have gorgeous hands, but still, they're HANDS, PEOPLE! HANDS!) went, we were followed by a blinding spotlight and four camera crews. But despite his discomfort, despite _my _discomfort, our fingers never separated. Despite my blush and impending sense of doom-by-falling-stage-lights-cracking-my-head-open, not once did I ever so much as consider releasing his hand.

That was just something which, for now, we weren't ready for.

But hopefully we'd be ready by the time we got to our lockers.

Koga, it seemed, was in denial. He chased after us as we walked by, stopping right in front of me, grabbing my free hand in his… making me sincerely worry for his life when I felt the _I'M-GONNA-STRANGLE-THIS-MORON-WITH-HIS-INTESTINES _vibes radiating off of Inuyasha.

"Kagome," he said earnestly, peering deep into my eyes, and I inwardly sighed and prepared myself for his speech, which sure enough, came: "Please, tell me it isn't so. Why would you settle for a half breed? I don't understand."

"Wolf shit," Inuyasha growled, smirking, "Get your hand off of my _girlfriend_."

Well. Somebody's possessive.

But for some reason I only giggled, mentally rolling my eyes… feeling almost as smug as he did.

Koga rolled his eyes at him, but stepped back, dropping my hand, glancing from me to Inuyasha. Frowning in thought, he mused, "Well, you're not mated, so I guess I've still got a chance! Come to me when you get tired of him, Kagome. I'll be waiting."

And with a wink, a wave, and a blown kiss, Koga skipped away, leaving me and Inuyasha blushing bright red.

"Uh…" I turned to Inuyasha, unsure whether to snicker or to pale, and raised an eyebrow, repeating confusedly, "_Mated?_"

He looked like a tomato. A freaking tomato. "K-keh. He's a jackass. Don't even ask."

And maybe I would've asked, maybe I would've sat him into the core of hell until I got an answer, but for some reason, I found that it just didn't matter enough to push the subject… and I had a feeling that if I _did _push the subject, the answer wasn't something that was going to make me feel any more comfortable.

We got mixed reactions as we walked to our lockers, ranging from surprise to confusion to glee to smugness and, unbelievably, to disgust. The last was a minority, and mostly from the people whose opinions I would throw into the trash bin anyway, but still, it surprised me.

But I was too happy to dwell on that too much.

We parted in the hallway, dropping our hands with something in between reluctance and relief. Relief because now the camera crews had to divide, thus lessening the intensity on each of us. Reluctance because our interlocked fingers fortified the bond between us, proved that it was still there, that it hadn't faded. I know it's irrational to think that it would just disappear, but still… I can't help it. I can't help but be amazed, and I can't help but be concerned.

But I'm INFINITELY more happy than worried.

.x.x.

I've learned that having a boyfriend makes you think about things differently: ask questions, seek answers, which before you hadn't even known existed. For instance:

1. How many times can you blush before your face turns permanently red?

2. If Inuyasha is my boyfriend, and I say _SIT _and send him crashing into the floor, does that make us in an abusive relationship?

"HIGURASHI!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of Hosenki's voice. Rin and Sango snickered at me, grinning widely. After stabbing them with sufficient eye-daggers, I turned to Hosenki and stuttered, "W-what?"

"If you could pay attention in class, it would be greatly appreciated," he said wryly. "_Regardless _of how many half demons you have vying for your attention."

3. When teachers know who you're going out with, is that a sign that things have gotten out of hand?

The class burst into giggles, but Sango guffawed the loudest and Rin grinned the widest.

They're dead. _So _dead.

.x.x.

~INUYASHA POV~

_-Wood/Metal Shop-_

Electrical saws are fun as hell.

Not like they're anything that magnificent or outrageous: I've got the works back home, better equipment than the school's. But still… there's something to be said for walking around the classroom, completely casual, completely at ease, completely _normal—_except for the huge chain saw buzzing in one hand.

When the class saw me coming out of the closet with that thing in my fist, they ran for cover.

I set to work on my project, smirking; the big-ass saw was the right move, hands down. With this thing jarring the air around me, screeching as it sliced through wood and metal, there was no way in hell anybody was gonna try to bother me… unless they wanted to risk getting blinded by flying wood chips. Or killed by a saw—after all, these things slip easy as hell.

Grinning to myself, I began to imagine how Koga might look without a head.

"Somebody is happy about something, it appears," a sly voice said on my right. "Perhaps something to do with a certain raven-haired beauty?"

I churned the wood viciously with the saw, concentrating not on his voice, not on his words, but on the way the metal groaned and twisted among the wood. Though I had a feeling that my rocking-chair-to-be was _not _growing up to be a healthy chair, I was too busy trying not to blush to care.

Blushing. Stupid fucking thing. I fucking hate it.

…I hate Miroku, too.

"Shut up," I growled, not looking at him. "There's a hell of a lot of ways a saw can slip up, you know. I might confuse your face with a piece of wood—wouldn't be _my _fault, just an honest mistake."

Cut. Stab. Die.

Take that, rocking chair.

Miroku smirked at me. "So… I take it I was correct?"

"Nah. I was just thinking about chopping off Koga's head. Wanna help?"

It was actually pretty amazing that he _wasn't _right, that that _hadn't _been what I was thinking about… been what caused the faint glow in my eyes, the grin teasing my lips… in fact, I had to wonder: why hadn't I been thinking about her, when she'd been _all _I'd been thinking about since yesterday? When she… when I… when we…

Shit. Nice going, Miroku: _now _I'm thinking about her again.

I stared at the rubble on the countertop for a second, uncomprehending, vaguely realizing that I'd just destroyed my rocking chair. It didn't seem a pressing matter, though. Clear it up, start again. No big deal. In fact… right now… _nothing _felt like a big deal.

I didn't have a fucking worry in the entire fucking world.

And—get this—I've been _cursing less!_

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME?

I turned off the saw, sweeping the remains of the chair into a garbage bag. It wasn't a big deal. It wasn't a big deal. Nothing was wrong… with a dull sense of surprise, I realized that there was actually nothing wrong with me, nothing out of place, nothing abnormal. Except for the fact that I was really, really, REALLY (as in so _really _that it's screwed up, wrong, unnatural, and dangerous)—

HAPPY.

But it didn't feel screwed up. It felt… good.

"I believe I will leave that to you," Miroku said, wiggling his eyebrows at me, making me want to rip them off his face. It took me a second to remember what I'd said. "Though I would tread with care if I were you, Inuyasha. Decapitating Koga might earn you quite a few _sits _from the lovely Kagome."

Rolling my eyes, I smirked and said, "I don't care. He's gonna get what's fucking coming to him."

…And I would, too.

Miroku grinned as he said, "Of course, I wouldn't presume to know her as well as _you _do—" cue growl from me, lecherous grin from him— "But I feel obligated to warn you that probably nothing will stop Kagome from utilizing that lovely kotodama of yours… not even your formidable expertise in the art of—"

I threw a chainsaw at him.

.x.x.

~INUYASHA POV~

_-Chemistry-_

Chemistry, overall, has been a huge disappointment.

I thought that at least once or twice, some idiot would fuck up and something would explode and I would get to laugh my ass off. Watching some poor fucker's test tube go up in a plume of smoke once in awhile _might've _made up for the huge tests and pop quizzes and stupid assignments. But no… shouldn't have gotten my fucking hopes up.

But if nobody's screwed up by the end of the month, I'm gonna do it on PURPOSE.

Miroku scooted his stool closer to mine as we bent over our test tubes, pouring who-the-hell-knows-what into who-the-hell-knows-what and creating who-the-hell-knows-what. If I didn't have my sense of smell, there's no way I'd be able to remember all the names of this crap. _Miroku _on the other hand, being the smartest moron I've ever met, has no trouble remembering all the stupid little abbreviations that don't fit the names. I'm really amazed that after all these years of Sango hitting him, he can still even remember his own name, let alone the Periodic Table of Fucking Elements.

Miroku grinned slyly at me, making me groan.

"You can't avoid it forever, Inuyasha," he said smugly, eyes gleefully evil. Idiot. "You'll have to talk to me eventually."

You'd think that being smashed in the face by a chainsaw might dampen his enthusiasm somewhat. I mean, it doesn't have to ruin his attitude _completely, _but a saw to the head might be a little warning, a little message. A "STOP BEING A FUCKING MORON BEFORE I GUT YOU" kind of message.

But he gets those kinds of messages from Sango—her fists and feet and boomerang—all the time, so maybe stuff like chainsaws are old school to him.

"Eventually doesn't mean _now_," I said, glaring, deciding to reply against my better judgment.

I've learned that thinking about Kagome makes me start thinking like a sap. It also makes me happier, lighter than I've ever been, like a huge weight's been taken off my shoulders. So… having the two together is sort of disturbing, and I definitely don't feel comfortable talking to _Miroku _about it.

It would _not _be worth the abuse, I fucking swear it.

Kagome… how could I tell him, anyway? How could I describe to him how she makes me feel, how she makes me feel not like an idiot, not like a _half breed_, but like… like… like someone amazing. Like a man… in more ways than… several…

MOTHERFUCKING KAMI, I'M TURNING INTO _MOTHERFUCKING MIROKU!_

Huh… so much for not cursing as much…

Thank god.

"And what are we blushing about now?"

**Stop blushing. There's nothing to be ashamed of.**

_I'm not ashamed. Go to hell._

Have you noticed that you seem to end nearly _every _sentence with "Go to hell"?

_Would you like, "Fuck you!" more?_

I'm too relieved that you finally acted on your feelings to be mad at you for that.

The scary thing was, I felt the same way. Like no matter how much these idiots annoyed me, no matter how Miroku pressured me… I couldn't be mad at them. I just couldn't. And weirdly enough, not being mad at people wasn't so bad.

Wait…

_Oi, you two haven't talked to me since YESTERDAY! That's the longest you've gone without bothering me since you showed up._

**Oh, I'm sorry, did you miss me?**

_Stupid fucking sarcastic demon…_

I was a little concerned about leaving you alone for so long. But it seems like you haven't screwed anything up yet, so… kudos to you.

…_Did you just say KUDOS?_

Did YOU just say kudos?

…Son of a bitch…

Again. I'll refrain from being mad about that little comment; I'm proud of you, Inuyasha. And very, very happy.

**We're both proud of you. Finally, you got some sense into that thick skull of yours. It's about time I wore off on you.**

_If YOU wore off on me, Kagome would take off running._

Probably with a few sits first.

_Why you… STOP LAUGHING!_

Predictably, he kept laughing.

Groaning, I tapped my fingers against the desk, turning to Miroku. Even he was more bearable than the idiots in my head, and knowing my demon, he'd probably find a way to turn the whole situation into something completely disturbed and awkward. Not like Miroku couldn't do that, but still, it's a little easier to hear stuff like that coming from _Miroku _than from my almost-alter-ego.

"What were you saying?" I muttered, glancing at him.

Miroku smiled, looking sorta grandpa-like until the words, "I was merely inquiring into your exploits with Kagome," came out of his mouth.

"DUDE," I shouted, staring at him, "That sounds fucked."

He only smirked.

…I wish I had another chainsaw.

"Look," I growled, "We're going out. Okay? Stop pressing for details, it's creepy. You're acting like a chick."

Some guys would probably want to describe everything to their friends, to brag, even to exaggerate. Some guys would make up stuff that had never happened outside of their dreams. But for me, talking about my private life is a nightmare.

Miroku knows that, so unfortunately, he leaps at every chance he gets to interrogate me. And he hasn't had that kind of chance for two years, so I've got a feeling that he is gonna make the next few days HELL.

But if the other option was a peaceful heaven without Kagome… then I think I'd prefer hell.

KAGOME POV

Ayame was more than ecstatic to hear that me and Inuyasha were together. Somehow, I think that it was less because she was happy for _us _and more because she was happy that _I _was no longer between her and Koga, but still… it's a positive reaction.

Maybe if we're lucky, Koga will realize that there is an amazing girl waiting for him to notice her.

Rin, Koga, Ayame, and I met up with the others as usual. To both mine and Inuyasha's embarrassment, Sango and Miroku took the liberty of pushing us together, and even reserving seats in History for us so that we could sit next to each other.

I might have thought it was nice of them, but I knew better.

"Maybe we should have them sit in the back of the room," Sango suggested, grinning at us even while she spoke to Miroku. "I'm sure they could find much more _interesting_ things to do than listen to Myoga ramble."

Inuyasha and I reddened, stuttering simultaneously, "Sh-shut up!"

Rin glanced at us, both leaning away, faces equally scarlet. "You guys are so funny," she chirped, smiling widely. "You're so _cute _together."

I just couldn't be mad at her when she was being so sincere.

"Thanks, Rin," I said wryly. "You might not want to say that too much, though… Sango and Miroku will think you're encouraging them."

She grinned at me before turning to Sango and Miroku, saying earnestly, "Relax a little, guys. You're embarrassing them."

"K-keh! I'm not embarrassed!"

"Yeah," Sango said, smirking. "Your cheeks are just bleeding, then."

"Why you—"

"Calm down," I said, laughing, taking his hand under the desk. Squeezing his fingers gently, I said very calmly, "If we stop taking the bait, they'll stop trying to get under our skin."

Whoa… Kagome, Kagome, are you taking the _logical _approach? The _peacemaker _approach? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?

Nobody noticed my inner turmoil, and Inuyasha gave me something between a grimace and a smirk. "Don't take this the wrong way, Kagome, but I know them a lot better than you do, and stuff like that doesn't make it any better."

It took us a second to realize that Sango and Miroku looked like their mouths were about to drop off.

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow at them. "Oi, idiots. Are you gawking about something or did your jaws come unhinged?"

Sango forced herself to swallow, almost coming alive as she said in disbelief, "You called her _KAGOME!_"

Round Two of "New Couple vs. Overexcited Teenage Friends," _BEGIN!_

Rin giggled at her, rolling her eyes. "Well, of course he called her Kagome. It's one thing when you're friends, but you can't call your girlfriend _wench _all the time. That would be demeaning."

"And it wasn't demeaning _before?_" I grumbled.

Rin only grinned at me.

I opened my mouth to say something, but when two shadows loomed over my desk, all words were forgotten. Groaning internally, wondering who I would be facing now, I looked up… into the faces of Yura and Tsubaki.

"Look, it's the Bitch Queens," Sango said scathingly, rolling her eyes. "What do you idiots want?"

"Nothing to do with you," Yura said, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"I can't believe you just tossed your hair," Sango muttered. "I didn't know people actually did that… that is, except for stupid popular cliques in chick flicks…"

"Shut up!" Yura said, face going a little red. Recovering herself, smirking, she added, "It's not my fault that you don't have hair pretty enough to toss."

Hearing Sango's response to that might have been amusing, but I really didn't want to see her attack Yura and get sedated by the school's tranquilizer-gun-carrying-goons. "Will you just get to the point?" I demanded, glancing up at her. "Or leave us alone, or stop wasting perfectly good air?"

Tsubaki rolled her eyes. "You're like a little kid," she said, smiling humorlessly. "Very cute, Kagome."

Hmm… I wonder if she would think I was _cute _when my nails were in her eyeballs…?

Gross as that would be, it's DEFINITELY on my To-Do-If-You-Never-Get-A-Job-And-Become-A-Bum-List.  
"But we wanted to know," Yura trilled, putting her elbows on Inuyasha's desk, grinning at us, "Are you two really going out?"

"I swear, if we have to explain this one more time, I'm gonna kill somebody," Inuyasha growled. Smirking, he said, "And you two would be a pretty good choice."

"I'll back you up," I said immediately, smirking as well. He grinned back at me.

"Awwww!" Have you ever heard a stupid slut coo? Do you know how ANNOYING it is? "You guys are _so cute. _You're perfect for each other, you know that? The half demon and the hopeless miko… we should put you in the Yearbook for _best couple._"

Tsubaki smirked. "If they're still alive at the end of the year."

Okaaaayyyy… again, with the death threats. What the heck is _wrong _with people? I raised an eyebrow at Tsubaki, smiling sweetly, and asked curiously, "Do you just threaten people's lives for fun, or are you actually psychopaths? We've already got enough people after our necks, so adding two idiots to the list wouldn't be much trouble."

"Keh, yeah, really," Inuyasha scoffed. Smirking at them, he asked, "Are you on your periods or something?"

Sango, Ayame, and I hit him.

"Ow! Crazy girls!" he growled, slapping our hands away.

Ayame grinned at Rin. "Come on, join in! It's fun to hit idiots!"

Rin giggled, saying, "Sorry… I think I'll pass…"

I sighed, grinning as I said, "Let's not be too hard on him. He's not an idiot… he's just a little stupid, doesn't have any sense of self-preservation…" I trailed off, frowning to myself.

Sango grinned widely at me and Inuyasha. "Now that I think about it… what _do _you see in him?"

Inuyasha glared at her, smirking. "I don't know… there must be plenty to see, cause obviously she puts up with me—"

"Sit."

"SHIT!"

Sango and Miroku guffawed as Inuyasha crashed to the floor, knocking his chair backward into a yelping Rin. Koga, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, Yura, and Tsubaki looked on with confusion and amusement.

"What'd you do to him?" Koga finally asked, grinning.

"I never meant to! Uh… sorry Inuyasha!" I squealed, trying to hold back laughter. "Uh… it was instinctive!"

"Yeah," he growled, getting to his knees, "Instinctive my ass."

When he was annoyed, it was hard to tell whether he was actually angry or just irritated, so I said meekly, "Sorry…"

Miroku sighed sympathetically with Inuyasha. "Wow… you have an abusive girlfriend, Yasha…"

"HEY! I-IT'S NOT ABUSIVE!" I shouted, face red, attracting stares from many members of the class.

Stupid Question Number Two… Stupid Miroku…

"That's not a very healthy relationship," Koga commented. "You might want to break up."

Out of line, Koga. OUT OF LINE.

"He…" I turned to Inuyasha, deciding to go with the _nervous glare _option. "You wouldn't dare…"

At first he glared at me, but the glare slowly subsided, turning into a smirk. I blinked when he sighed, and blushed when he said, "No, I wouldn't."

Silence… and then the hurricane of AWW!'s attacked.

"AWWW!"

"OH MY GOD YOU'RE SO CUTE!"

"YOU TWO ARE ADORABLE!"

"YOU SHOULD HUG!"

"KISS!"

"KISS!"

"KISS!"

The chanting was closing in on all sides, and one by one, every voice in the class rose to join in the intonation of the dreaded word. _Kiss, kiss, kiss! _We blushed, our friends chanted, the _class _chanted, and Yura and Tsubaki just stood there and smirked, probably thinking we were morons. _Kiss, kiss, kiss! _It was everywhere, it was surrounding us, we were suffocating… EVEN _MR. MYOGA_ WAS CHANTING, FOR _CRYING OUT LOUD! _WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?

When I thought my face was going to burst into flames, I decided to explode rather than catch fire.

_"SHUT THE HELL UP!"_

The class went silent.

"Whoa… Kagome…" Inuyasha said, awed, staring at me in amazement.

I looked away from him, not wanting to let him see my blush. "What? Uh… well… I…" Grinning, I said sweetly as if just realizing it, "Hey… it worked! Cool!"

And now everyone thought I was crazy. But hey, at least the chanting stopped!

The class—yes, including our _teacher, _the _flea_—looked very disappointed. Myoga seemed to be forced to start class, and with a sigh, he pointed to the chalkboard and started talking about some old dead guys from a few centuries ago. In fact, the only person at that moment (other than Inuyasha, cause he's as annoyed as I am, and other than Rin, cause she's, well, RIN) who _didn't _seem disappointed—and therefore wasn't included in my daydream of death—was Sesshomaru.

Who, as usual, was sitting in the back of the room, looking bored, and probably wishing we would all just die.

.x.x.

~SESSHOMARU~

So… his pathetic excuse for a half brother, shame on the family, and idiot of idiots had finally gotten a second girlfriend.

Kagome Higurashi. Rin's sister.

He watched them from his seat, observing the transition of events when they entered the classroom. The monk and demon slayer, being the tiresome, pushy friends that they were, pushed the miko and his half brother together, forcing them to take seats next to each other. Sesshomaru didn't understand why they looked so irritated, so uncomfortable, and why their faces were red was an utter mystery to him. But then again, he was a demon, and demons, being the superior race, had much more control over their feelings than did humans. So maybe the only reason he found their blushing so incomprehensible was because _he _had never blushed in his _life._

He was glad. Such a notion would have been intolerable.

Sesshomaru watched her: Kagome Higurashi. The girl which he could tell, even from his seat on the other side of the room, had the half breed captivated. Inuyasha had always been a fool, played so easily by his emotions. _He is like a child, _Sesshomaru thought, both scathing and matter-of-factly. _When he feels things, he feels them intensely, and yet he has no idea what to do with his feelings._

_ Just like a child. Helpess and stupid._

Sesshomaru was ashamed to be related to such an idiot, and if Kagome and Inuyasha became any more serious, he would feel sorry for Rin, too, to be connected to such a fool. Not that that would change his opinion of _Rin. _He would hold her in high esteem no matter who her relations were. Nothing, not even his half brother, could change that.

After all, Sesshomaru himself had been unable to change his good opinion of her, and god knows he had tried.

He forced his thoughts away from Rin, focusing instead on her sister. Kagome Higurashi didn't seem to be particularly stupid… not nearly as smart or interesting as Rin, of course. Not as unique, or charming, or beautiful, or—

Sesshomaru cut himself off.

Back to Kagome. Looking at her, he decided that although she was a relatively normal, plain girl, perhaps a bit unstable, and nothing like her adopted sister, he hadn't actually thought that she was _stupid_. Obviously, he had misjudged her, because for anyone to willingly go out with _Inuyasha_…

There had to be something wrong with her.

He sighed, taking in her face. The similarity was unavoidable, between this girl, and the miko of two years past… and yet they were not the same. Despite the physical appearance, they were completely different people.

Sesshomaru had respected Kikyo. She was a human, therefore he hadn't _liked _her, but he respected her attitude. It was similar, he had thought, to his own. She had been smart for a human, and he had wondered why she had put up with his half brother. But he had learned that she had not been nearly as smart or strong as she had appeared, for she had died.

In the end, like all humans, she had been weak-hearted and bound to fail.

Now, this girl, Kagome… she was not as strong or as collected as Kikyo, perhaps not as organized, but he could nearly smell the power of her miko aura radiating off of her. She was, impossibly, even stronger than Kikyo. Or she had the potential to be, eventually. She was also spirited, a little reckless, a bit stupid… well, that would explain why she would enjoy Inuyasha's company.

But somebody who didn't know Kagome very well would be bound to notice the resemblance between her and Kikyo. Somebody who didn't know her and Inuyasha would be bound to talk… to gossip… to speculate…

Sesshomaru sighed. _This foolishness is why this Sesshomaru does not associate with humans._

He amended that: except _one _human.

Sesshomaru had thought about it long after she had left his apartment. He had lain awake on the roof, in the dark, and watched the darkened sky… and thought about her. About what made her impossible to ignore. About what made her impossible to let go.

About whether there was truly something wrong with _him_, or just something different about _her_… something which set her apart from other humans.

Up on the roof, he had come to a conclusion, which was that Rin was Rin. Not just a human, but _Rin. _And being Rin made up for her being human. Being Rin… being Rin was all she needed.

And he had thought that it wouldn't matter, up on the roof. That he wouldn't care about her human heritage, that he could simply ignore that, put it aside. But now… watching the other humans, thinking about their stupidity, thinking about the pain their stupidity could cause… how could he connect himself with such a ridiculous species?

…Even for the sake of the one he cared about most in the world?

He realized, almost surprised, that it was true. His father, his mother, his stepmother, his half brother… they were his family, and yet none of them held his respect. None of them were worth his admiration. And the students, colleagues, teachers… they were wastes of molecules, as far as Sesshomaru was concerned.

Rin was the only person to earn his respect… the only person who hadn't yet lost it.

Rin was the only person in the world whom Sesshomaru had ever admired.

_To think, _he thought dryly, _That that person would be a human._

It was unfathomable, it was repulsive, it was horrid and shameful… and yet Sesshomaru was not ashamed. He could not think of it any other way, and he knew instinctively that there was no one on the Earth more worthy of his admiration than Rin.

He watched her without looking, watched her from the corner of his eyes, and wondered whether admiration could be something more.

His half brother was making a fool out of himself again. He'd said something which the girls had deemed rude, and Kagome, the demon slayer, and the female wolf demon had hit him on the head. Only Rin did not take part in this atrocious display of immaturity. Only Rin did not take part in the teasing which followed.

Rin simply sat back and smiled, laughing that soft laugh of hers which was so incredibly beautiful.

_If she were a demon… perhaps… she could be mine, _Sesshomaru thought, frowning slightly.

His. Rin, belonging to him, just as he already belonged to her… it felt right. The thought made him smile. With a sense of surprise, and yet not entirely surprised, Sesshomaru realized that it was an appealing idea. An idea he might have liked, might have actually considered…

_If she were a demon._

Sesshomaru grimaced.

Sesshomaru was almost certain she was partial to him, and he wondered how she felt that he always seemed to turn her down. Always played indifferent. Did it hurt her? What did she make of his stoic, impassive behavior? What did she make of his cold golden eyes and thin lips and sparse smiles?

A dreaded question pervaded his mind, made him stiffen. What if… what if eventually, she would get tired of waiting for him? What if he really _did _push her away? What would he do?

How would he deal with the pain of belonging to a girl whom he would never allow to be his?

_Belonging, _he thought, nearly snarled. _I don't belong to her._

And yet… he did. For if he didn't belong to her, if he wasn't hers, then why couldn't he come out and tell her that he would never be hers?

Why couldn't he destroy her hopes once and for all?

Because he was powerless to her, to her bright smile, to her brilliant eyes and her pealing laugh. And he knew it.

He hated it, but he didn't hate _her. _

_Do you hate me? _Sesshomaru wondered, staring at Rin, wishing she could hear his question and yet at the same time grateful she could not. _And if you don't… might you eventually? Will you abandon me? Will you give up?_

_ Can you see through my façade? Do you know what I'm feeling?_

He wouldn't be surprised if after all this, she _did _know what he was feeling. After all, she was Rin. And Rin was nearly omniscient when it came to other people's feelings.

The idea that her beautiful brown eyes could penetrate him so easily made him feel uneasy.

.x.x.

When the class began to chant, "KISS! KISS! KISS!" Sesshomaru wanted to slash them into little tiny pieces.

It was a bit entertaining, he admitted, to see his half brother so visibly uncomfortable—almost as entertaining as it had been to see Rin's sister smash him into the ground at the sound of one word. _A subjugation, _he had realized. _The half breed is wearing a subjugation necklace. _

Smirking, he imagined the fun he would have taunting Inuyasha about that later.

He grimaced as the chanting got louder and louder. Didn't these children know when to shut up? Couldn't they control themselves? If it continued for one more moment, he thought he might _really _kill them.

But to his surprise, the miko chose that moment to lose it.

_"SHUT THE HELL UP!"_

Silence. Wonderful, blissful silence.

He smirked a little, tracing a flaw on the desk with one of his claws. She may have made herself look unstable by screaming, but she had gotten the job done, so he would have to give her credit for that.

Thankfully, class started.

It was boring as usual. He'd learned all this many years ago, when he'd gone to high school for the _first _time. But he had no trouble remembering it. The lesson was exactly the same as when Myoga had taught it before. He even guessed that it was the same _day _as it had been all those years ago.

He groaned silently, asking himself for the thousandth time why he had agreed to endure high school _again._

Class ended, and the students filed out. But this time something happened that hadn't happened before. This time, Rin waved goodbye to her friends, and rather than walking away… she turned around.

And walked up to _him._

"Do you want to walk to class together?" she asked, smiling.

Sesshomaru blinked, surprised but not displeased. What to say, though? What should he say? Should he tell her no? Should he—

"Yes."

They started walking.

There was a change within her. It was tangible in the air about her, audible in her sweet voice. Something… was different. Not a bad different, not a different which Sesshomaru found repulsive. Instead, to his surprise, he found that it was _refreshing. _

He decided that he would find out what this change was.

Rin herself had always been refreshing. A change from the normal monotony of high school life. He had the sense that despite all his walls, despite his guard… she always pierced through him.

She did this now.

"Do they annoy you?" she asked, giving him a tentative, knowing smile. "The students, I mean."

_No blush, _he noticed, frowning infinitesimally. No reddening cheeks. _What does that mean…? _He wondered. With a cold numbness, he thought, _Could it mean… she no longer cares for me?_

But her smile was the same, her eyes were the same. It was only the blush that was gone.

She seemed… more confident. Still shy, but more confident. More… _knowing._

Like she'd made a triump. Like she knew something he didn't.

Sesshomaru wanted _so badly _to know what it was that she knew.

He smirked slightly at the question she'd asked. _She knows me well, _he thought. "Yes," he said. "Very much. Teenagers never seem to change, no matter how many times you go to high school…"

_Except you. you're different._

Rin frowned at this, giving him a questioning glance. "How many times… how many times have _you _gone to high school?"

He understood why she was confused now. "This is my second time," he said tonelessly.

She giggled at that. "I can't believe you went twice. Not to offend you!" she added hastily. _Now _it was there. The blush. "I just… I don't know. You seem to hate high school… why would you come back? And how long ago did you go to high school before?"

_So many questions, _he thought wryly. He didn't mind, though. For some reason, he enjoyed talking to Rin. "The last time this Sesshomaru was a senior was many, many years ago," he said. _I wonder if it would bother her… this Sesshomaru's true age…? _"I graduated, went to college, and started a business. I still run the business, but as a favor to my father, I agreed to attend high school again… to look after my fool of a half brother." He smirked. "I thought it might be entertaining to irritate him. A relief from the long boredom I suffered after college."

He didn't mention the other reason his parents had mentioned—the one reason which his mother, his stepmother, and his father had all been unanimously in favor of.

_"You are one hundred and fifty six, Sesshomaru. You are very dear to me, but it is ridiculous that you haven't found a demon woman to make your mate."_ That was what his mother had said… cold, calculating, with the same loathsome, simpering smile which Sesshomaru despised.

_ "I care about you as if you were my own son. I want you to be happy; I know you must be lonely. Going back to high school will give you an opportunity to meet new people." _That from his stepmother, from his father's mate… from the woman he had once called a harlot, a whore… from the woman who he had thought had stolen his father from him. Sesshomaru remembered those feelings. They were the feelings of a younger Sesshomaru, a foolish Sesshomaru. He was different, now; he'd learned since then.

He knew that his stepmother was not a harlot; his father, for reasons unfathomable, genuinely loved her, and she loved him. But that didn't mean that Sesshomaru had to like her or approve of her.

_I'm not like my father. This Sesshomaru does not love humans._

Sesshomaru's eyes strayed to Rin's face… and softened when they saw her smile.

"I wonder how you bear it," she said softly. "It must drive you insane."

"You have no idea," he said wryly.

She only grinned.

They walked in silence, a comfortable silence, until they reached the classroom. She got there first, opening the door, prancing into the room with that dancer-like grace. _How does she, a human, make every step, every stride seem so elegant and light? _Sesshomaru wondered, watching her as he followed her in. It was one of the many things which he did not understand about her. He doubted she even noticed it.

She hesitated at her desk, the smile slipping from her face as she glanced from her desk, to his, so quickly that only Sesshomaru could have caught her gaze… could have known what it meant. He, too, glanced to his desk… should he leave her?

But he had already decided he couldn't ignore her… what did he have to lose?

Sesshomaru sat down in the seat next to hers, and with an awed smile and red blush, Rin sat down in her own seat.

She put her chin in her hands, thoughtful. He watched her abstractedly, thinking of something to say… wondering why he felt the need to say anything at all. He'd never felt this way before. Like he _wanted _to talk to someone, _wanted _the silence to end.

The boy who usually sat in his seat walked into class, saw Sesshomaru, and balked.

Sesshomaru only smirked, ignoring him as he practically fell into another chair.

Noticing Rin's odd, peaceful expression, he asked, "What are you thinking about?"

She smiled ruefully, looking shyly at him. "Just Kagome and Inuyasha. I know you don't like your brother that much, but… she is so happy. It makes me happy, too."

The smile widened before it shrank, brightened before it faded. Rin frowned at her hands on the desk, briefly thinking, _I wish it made you happy. Why can't your brother's happiness be your happiness?_

Sesshomaru couldn't explain the sudden sad, wistful look in her eyes… all he knew was that the absence of her smile left an odd pang in his chest, a pang which should not have been there, a pang which Sesshomaru should not have felt.

But he did feel it. With clarity.

They had a substitute teacher that day, so the period was devoted to studying for the upcoming test: a test neither of them needed to study for, so rather than pouring over their notes, they sat in silence… side by side… unknowingly thinking about the same thing.

Each other. Them. Their feelings.

What it all meant.

Rin knew she loved him. More than almost anything in the world, she wanted to be with him, wanted him to feel the same way… and she knew he didn't. But _could _he? Could he feel the same way? She knew he wasn't like her. He couldn't jump into love, he couldn't take the next step without looking where he was going. He was the kind to look before he leaped, and sometimes, to choose not leap at all.

Rin, on the other hand, leapt at every chance she got, and now that she was falling, she had resolved to find a soft landing.

_I need to let him get to know me, _she thought, a small crease appearing on her forehead, unaware that Sesshomaru was watching that crease, wondering what it meant. _And to do that… I need to…_

To do that, she needed to spend more time with him, and she needed to prove that she was worth his time.

The hard part was actually making the move.

Sesshomaru sat next to her, equally silent. _What is she thinking…? What is she feeling…? _He couldn't discern any particular emotion from her: sadness, fear, happiness, frustration. Instead, there was a kind of curious tension… an emotion, a nervous resolve, which he could sense but not explain.

He wanted to know more.

_I have spent so long trying to find her flaws, _Sesshomaru thought. _To find the flaw in Rin which I could grasp onto, which I could use to block out everything else… the flaw which would let me cast her away. _

He had spent so long thinking that once he found that flaw, everything would be back to normal. That he would be the invincible Sesshomaru once more, an immoveable object, a rock. And she… _She would be in the past, _Sesshomaru realized, numbed. _She would be just another human._

He had spent so long striving to obtain this future that until now, he hadn't stopped to wonder: was it what he wanted?

And if it wasn't what he wanted… what _did _he want?

Sesshomaru knew what he wanted… but that didn't make the idea any easier to cope with. The idea of _wanting_, of _longing. This Sesshomaru does not long for anything, _Sesshomaru thought angrily. _Longing is a foolish emotion. Longing is for the weak. For those too afraid to do anything about it._

His own thoughts, somehow, hit home.

Longing. A thing for cowards, a thing for people who would only ever yearn… never try. A thing for fools. _I am not a fool, _Sesshomaru growled. And yet, if he was not a fool… then why did he feel so foolish? Why was he longing, telling himself not to do anything about it?

He was just as bad as any coward.

Rin bit her lip. _Don't be a coward. Ask him. _

He closed his eyes softly. _I am not a coward._

Her fists clenched beneath the table. _You're not a fool. You don't need to be afraid. Just ask him. It'll be fine._

Sesshomaru grimaced; if he wasn't a coward, why could he not turn to her?

_Just look at him._

Why could he not speak?

_Just open your mouth._

Why could he not act upon his feelings?

_Don't lock your feelings away… don't let them grow dusty, cold, lonely… bring them into the light before it's too late…_

_ You must face your feelings… you must make your decisions… she will not wait for you, not forever…_

_ Just look at him… just look at him…_

And Rin did, just in time to meet his golden gaze as he turned it upon her.

Before her mind could catch up with her mouth, she spoke.

"Would you want to… hang out sometime? Not for the project, I mean. Just to… hang out. To get to know each other better. A date."

She stumbled through the words, trying not to blush, trying to get out everything before she could change her mind. Eyes wide, she ran over what she'd said… what she'd asked, what she'd somehow, _unbelievably _found the bravery to say…

Rin smiled. _I did it, _she thought, dazed. _I said it._

She couldn't remember feeling prouder. Terrified, yes, she was terrified. But her pride, her elation, her sense of relief… for the first time, it overpowered her nervousness, and Rin met his eyes, feeling not like a stuttering child, not like a nervous schoolgirl… but like a woman. A mature, strong, independent woman.

_I took charge, _she realized. _For almost the first time… I took charge._

Sesshomaru stared at her. Had she just asked him… on a date?

But despite the shock, despite the whooping sense of utterly unreal joy… he could think clearly enough to know what the answer was. And in that split second, in that split second of silence, he realized he had a decision to make.

What was right, what was best, what was good… or what would make him happier than anything? What he _wanted?_

In a burst of clarity, he made his decision.

"Yes. If Rin would like to go out to dinner with this Sesshomaru… I would be pleased."

Monotone. Toneless. Impassive.

Rin burst into a wide smile, feeling happy enough to cry.

.x.x.

**A/N: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE AWESOME, AWESOME, **_**AWESOME **_**REVIEWS I GOT FOR THE LAST CHAPTER! :D Here's to GoldenRose88, xbeautyxxisxxlifex, beautiful-surreal, ninjagurl512, Tomatosoup inc., MidnightFlame325, Alechaos Ogigio, LunaP, Sakura-Suzumura, HelloGoodbye, Daichilover, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, 00-Wild-Fire-00, BGuate224, k and ai, xXthenextbookwormXx, Roses Kiss, iheartinuyasha, EveryGirlNeedsHerVampire, i-rock-101, Inu-Yasha lov3r1, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, and Jennaha11 for reviewing! **

**Also: I'm starting school tomorrow. DX I'm both excited and nervous. There will probably be times when I can't write as much as usual, so I'm giving you a choice. If I can barely write at all at some times, would you rather I post a short chapter or wait longer for a regular chapter?**

**REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! RE- *gets hit in the head by readers***

**READERS: **_**WE KNOW!  
**_**NF222: Then review. xP**


	62. Out of the Comfort Zone

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

.x.x.

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO: OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE

~KAGOME POV~

_Japanese Language_

Today has been awesome.

Exhausting? Sure. Explaining the same story _over _and _over _and FREAKING _OVER _again a billion times to a billion different people—and then exploding and screaming at them and making yourself look like a sociopath—gets tiring eventually. But still, as fatiguing as it was, it was _entirely _worth it.

Every time I walked down the hallway with Inuyasha, I grinned.

Every time I saw the looks of jealousy on his fangirls' faces, I laughed.

And I slowly began to realize just how _fun _being a jerk can be.

Not like I'm going to make a habit of it, but still—I had a right to enjoy it, just for today. Just today, while I walked down the hall hand in hand with my boyfriend… just today, while people made weird innuendos and I blushed or screamed my head off until they ran away completely terrified, depending on my mood… just today, while Inuyasha and I rolled our eyes in synchrony at our insane classmates… just today, I would enjoy being smug.

Today I felt high.

NOT, OF COURSE, THAT I WOULD KNOW WHAT BEING HIGH FEELS LIKE!

I leaned back in my seat, dug through my backpack, and realized that I left my homework at home, comfortably situated in my printer. But for some reason, I couldn't feel the panic which always threatened to engulf me when I screwed up; all I could do was lean back and smile like a doof.

But I'm a happy doof.

"Hey Kagome," Sango said, sitting next to me. "Why are you so happy?" She smiled a smug smile which made my eye twitch. "Never mind." Seeming to sense that I was in an _explode-and-burst-your-eardrums _kind of mood, she searched for something to say to change the subject… and found it, with a confused frown, in the seat next to me. "Hey… where's Rin?"

I blinked, turning, realizing for the first time that there was an empty seat beside me. Rin usually arrived just before me. Almost every day, she got here a few seconds before I did. So… where was she?

Just as I turned to tell Sango I didn't know, the bell rang… and I knew something was terribly, terribly wrong.

Rin is _never _late to class. NEVER.

Panic welled up in my chest, obliterating my happy-go-lucky floating-on-air feelings and diminishing my goofy smile. Where was Rin? Why was she late? Rin's not a procrastinator like me—I mean, sure, she can be a little spacey sometimes, but it's not like her to be late.

It wasn't like her to be missing as class started, as the minute hand worked its way from the two to the three to the four…

Just when I was about to jump up and announce that I had to go rescue my sister (because obviously something NORMAL could NEVER be holding her late and she's probably been KIDNAPPED), the door opened, and my heart froze over.

Because… Rin was right there.

And she was shining like fireworks.

Sango smiled, waving her over to us. Rin grinned back, skipping over to her seat, ignoring the stares of our classmates… ignoring the eyes boring into her skull, the disapproving Nazuna frowning in confusion. And nobody else noticed that something was terribly wrong. Nobody else noticed that here, before us, was a flaw in the universe.

Rin was smiling. Never-tardy, attention-fearing Rin was in the center of a blinding spotlight, and she was _smiling._

I could only stare at her.

Nazuna shifted. Had it been anyone else, anyone else but _Rin_, she would have been stern and strict, but Rin had earned her respect with her incredible poetry and pros. So for Rin, all she said was, "Rin? Do you have a pass?"

And Rin, to all our shock, blushed and smiled one of her brilliant smiles. "I'm so sorry! I don't! Really, I promise it'll never happen again. I'm not usually so late. I don't know what came over me."

She laughed nervously, shaking her head as if in confusion, unaware that my eyes were on her all the while. Call it a hunch, but I had a feeling that it wasn't being _late _(thrilling as it is, _cough cough sarcasm cough cough_) that gripped her in such overwhelming awe. But then… what was it?

What had given rise to the fearless smile on that face?

Nazuna frowned at Rin and said slowly, "Well… I'll let it slide this once, but please don't be late again."

Rin nodded earnestly. "Of course not! I promise!"

Nazuna, disconcerted, returned to the lesson.

I was even _more _disconcerted.

I scribbled a simple question on a note, passing it quickly to Rin. She glanced down at it, eyebrows furrowing slightly, smile freezing for just a moment. But as quickly as it had frozen, it melted, and she smiled easily and just shook her head at me, gesturing to the chalkboard as if to say, _I need to pay attention. I can't miss anything more._

But I knew perfectly well that Rin _didn't _need to pay attention… and she couldn't hide the unease in her eyes.

I looked away, forehead creasing in confusion.

"Kagome?" Sango asked a few minutes later. "What's wrong?"

I just shook my head, smiling slightly. Was I being absurd? Of course I was being absurd… how could it be anything else but absurdity, paranoia? How could I explain my worries with anything other than my own tendency to exaggerate?

That was it. I was just exaggerating, making everything out of nothing, like I always did.

That was it…

But I couldn't shake the feeling that it _wasn't _it. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, something I couldn't describe, something I didn't know myself and so could never explain to Sango.

I couldn't shake the feeling that Rin was keeping secrets from me.

My fingers tensed on my pen, digging into the gripper. Eyes sliding out of focus, I slid out of my body and into my mind, into my thoughts, into my fears. Rin… why would she keep secrets from me? She _never _kept secrets from me. Why should I start to think otherwise now?

_Because of yesterday. Because of now. Because of the evidence hanging right before your eyes… the evidence you've been trying so hard to ignore._

The evidence I couldn't ignore, much as I wanted to.

So I sighed and grimaced and faced the chalkboard, trying to engage myself in the lesson, trying to tell myself everything would work out in the end. Secrets or not, they're still _Rin's _secrets… and eventually she would tell me, because she would never keep anything from me for long.

She would never keep secrets.

I closed my eyes. I tapped my pencil against the desk. I clenched my toes.

But Rin was still there, and she was still keeping secrets, and I amended my previous statement:

She would never keep secrets… unless she was afraid of my response.

The idea that she feared me bothered me more than I would have ever expected, and I found that as class went on, the need to know the truth dug deeper and deeper into my core, settling inside me like a bit of dirt beneath my nails, a tiny black speck just too far to reach. But I couldn't interrogate her, not here, not now… not when she was so happy, not when just the mere allusion to her happiness made her stiffen.

I love her too much to do that to her.

So I would have to wait. But you know what? I could do that. For Rin's sake, I could do that. I would wait until she'd cooled down, until we were alone, back home… and then I would pull out the big guns, and I wouldn't give up until she'd spilled _everything._

Cause I'm her sister, and we're best friends, and she has no right to fear me.

And because we have an unspoken pact, which I know, in the end, that she'll honor.

_Family Class_

It was time.

Well, I didn't _know _it was time, but as it turned out: it was time.

Don't question that, please. Or I might start having to question my own sanity.

Inuyasha had left lunch early to "go make up some stupid test" (though he used more _colorful _language), so I entered Family class alone. "Hey Kagome," Suikotsu said, waving at me from the desk, giving me a rather odd grin.

Uneasy, not sure whether that grin was an I-Know-Something-You-Don't grin or an I-Know-Something-You-Don't-And-I'm-Going-To-Make-You-_Suffer_-For-It grin, I smiled back at him. "Hi, Mr. Suikotsu."

He turned to face me completely. "So… where's the baby? Not lying in a gutter somewhere, I hope."

I gave him one of my most winning smiles as I said sweetly, "Shinju is with her father."

Kagome, you are awesome. That was the _epitome _of adorable.

"Ah, yes, Inuyasha!" Suikotsu said, seeming to remember something for the first time when really he'd probably known it all along. "I've heard some rumors about you two…"

I groaned silently, waiting, knowing _exactly _what he was about to say.

"Congratulations, Kagome!" There was something disturbing about his grin. _Really _disturbing. "I'll admit, I never thought you the type to fall in love and be mated within two weeks of knowing a guy, but—"

HOLD THE PHONE, HERE!

"Wait wait wait wait wait _WAIT_," I stuttered.

My face was going to burst into flames; I swear, it was. It would heat up, burst into flames, and spit the fire at _Suikotsu _and the whole school would burn to the ground and I'd be arrested for arson. Or I would be, but thankfully, I'd be charred beyond recognition.

"What the hell did you _HEAR?_" I demanded, gaping at him.

Suikotsu blinked innocently at me. "What… so you and Inuyasha didn't hook up and become mates and you're _not _officially adopting Shinju as your daughter along with giving birth to four sets of twins?"

…?

The fire had died down and was now circling my hands, prepared to be thrown at whoever was unlucky enough to be the next person to walk in the door. In a voice trembling with shock and with a grin bordering on maniacal, I asked, "Uh… who told you that?"

Suikotsu frowned. I grinned. Suikotsu smiled. I smiled. Suikotsu grinned. I paled.

"Nobody," he said sweetly. "I'm just messing with you."

The door opened, and I whirled around to scream and char—Inuyasha.

DANG IT! I can't fry my boyfriend.

Inuyasha, for one, looked confused at the aura of death which radiated off of my body. "Uh… what's going on?"

"Oh, Inuyasha, it's a good thing you're here!" Suikotsu said, smiling. "So, you two finally named the baby, hmm?"

I turned around to gawk at him. "Are you telling me you're just going to _ignore _the fact that you LIED to me?"

And gave me a panic attack? And gave me a heart attack? And nearly made me char my own boyfriend? AND NEARLY MADE ME BLOW UP THE SCHOOL?

He blinked again. "Lied? Why would I lie?"

I slapped myself in the face. Inuyasha's eye twitched… but I wasn't sure if it was from annoyance, anger, or amusement.

"Doesn't matter," I said, sighing. By now, I was used to Suikotsu's semi-bipolarity. I grinned at Inuyasha. "So… how'd the test go?"

"Math is shit," he grumbled, sitting down. "Who the hell needs that stuff, anyway? That's what we've got _accountants _for."

I decided not to point out that not everybody grew up in a house-eating-house with their own private movie theatre, and some people might actually _become _accountants. Instead, I sat down next to him, smirking, and said, "So I take it you bombed it?"

He raised an eyebrow, lips curling into a small smirk, eyes twinkling with teasing humor. "Why the hell would I bomb it? It might be shit, but it's easy shit."

It took me a second to process those words and realize, shocked: _Oh my god. Inuyasha is good at math. _

"Wha… wha…?"

I could only stutter. The world was slipping away beneath my feet, the Earth was tipping on its side, I was falling into a whirlpool of confusion… Inuyasha? Good at math? _INUYASHA?_

I should've known it was too good to be true, to be reality. Signs of the apocalypse had been stalking me ever since I came to Tokyo. First, I _came to Tokyo. _Then, I _held the Orb of Night. _Then, I _became friends with Inuyasha. _Then I _HAD FEELINGS FOR INUYASHA._

And then, the most unbelievable of all, Inuyasha became my BOYFRIEND.

HOW COULD I NOT HAVE SEEN THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING REALLY OFF ABOUT THE UNIVERSE?

"Oi, Kagome, are you choking or something?" he demanded, alarmed.

Choking? No. Questioning my reality and existence? Very much.

"I… I… HOW THE HECK CAN YOU BE GOOD AT MATH?" I finally cried out, eyes wide.

He stared at me. "Uh… I don't know…" smirking, he added, "Good genes, I guess…"

"But… but…" I trailed off, gawking at him, finally deciding on, "How can you be rich _and _smart _and_—"

I cut myself off before blurting my thoughts, but it was too late, and now he wanted to know the last part. Inuyasha frowned, confused. "…and…?"

"Uh… and… uh…"

He stared at me when I blushed, eyes widening before a smirk crept up on his face. "Oh, come on, now I _need _to know. I already know I'm awesome, you can say it."

My eyes narrowed as I growled, "There's no way I'm going to say it."

"Tell me."

"Nope," I said, smirking.

"Tell me!"

I stifled laughter. "Say the magic word."

Inuyasha looked like he was about to have an aneurysm.

And then, rather alarmingly, Suikotsu leaned over his desk and smiled at us. Which, of course, made me immediately think: WHAT IS HE PLANNING AND WHAT DOES HE WANT? (And that's not just because I'm paranoid. I mean, SURE, I'm paranoid, but when it comes to Suikotsu _nothing _is paranoia.)

Especially when he smirked and told Inuyasha, "She thinks you're dreamy."

Does anybody have a diagnosis for Suikotsu's insanity? I mean, besides "Uncontrollable Urge To Drive Students Slowly As Insane As He Is Disorder?" Cause as awesome as my own diagnosis is, somehow I don't think it sounds very scientific and would not allow for prescription drugs for my teacher. Nor would it merit a stay in an insane-people hospital… which I'm beginning to really hope for.

Face turning red, I buried my head in my hands, groaning. Inuyasha, ego probably swelling from the size of a house to the size of _his _house, turned and stared at me.

Don't look at him, don't look at him, don't look at him…

I looked. And to my surprise, he had turned a light shade of pink.

"Uh…" we both said.

The pink fading, he smirked. "Thanks."

Sensing that his ego might grow to planet-size and crush us all, I did the only thing I could. "SIT."

I'm an abusive girlfriend. I'm an abusive girlfriend. OH MY GOD, I'M AN _ABUSIVE GIRLFRIEND…_

"Abusive…" he muttered, getting to his feet.

"It's for the Earth's sake!" I stuttered, reddening.

Of course he had no idea what I was talking about, though apparently it amused him enough to forgive me. Instead of initiating an argument, he grinned and said, "_Sure. _Right."

"Of course I'm right," I babbled. "I'm always right."

Inuyasha and Suikotsu laughed.

Raising an eyebrow at our teacher, Inuyasha asked, "Why the hell are you spying on us?"

"It's not spying when you know I'm here," Suikotsu said helpfully… continuing to stare at us and making us feel extremely awkward, which has always been one of his favorite hobbies.

"Yeah… well…" Inuyasha and I exchanged a skeptic glance. A part of me realized that my awkwardness had faded, his teasing had ended. A part of me realized that Suikotsu had united us in our mutual discomfort. But I didn't note it, didn't think it was important. Only after Suikotsu had called the class to order did I realize that his eavesdropping, in a way, actually made us comfortable with each other.

I gave Suikotsu a searching glance; he winked at me.

Had he been _trying _to unite us? From the beginning? Did he make us partners in the project because he wanted us to be _friends? _

I shook my head vaguely, confused. Suikotsu was smart, yes. Clever, sure. But… that would be incredible. How could he plan that far ahead? Why would he even bother to play matchmaker? The idea of a teacher playing matchmaker just wasn't right.

But because I had no answers, I only grinned; after all, it was Suikotsu. There's no making sense of the guy.

"What are you grinning about?" Inuyasha asked, frowning at me.

I smiled enchantingly at him. "Hold my hand, will you?"

"Uh… keh, sure…?"

Rolling my eyes at his hesitance, I grabbed his hand off of the table, playing with his fingers. "Your knuckles are hairy," I commented, giggling.

Inuyasha gave me an irritated glance. "Oi, if you're just gonna sit there and _abuse _my _knuckles_—"

"Shut up. They're adorable."

He reddened, staring at me as I looked at his hands. I didn't look up to meet his gaze, though; to see whether he was staring at me in awe or questioning my sanity. It didn't matter, in the end… I knew he cared for me.

His fingers tightened on mine, and he muttered with a smirk, "I would've thought they were _dreamy_…"

My eye twitched. Smiling dreamily, I imagined sitting Inuyasha through the core of the Earth and into the Atlantic Ocean. "You're pushing it," I said sweetly, smirking dangerously.

Inuyasha stiffened. But luckily for him, I didn't have time to scare him any more, because then Suikotsu gave us a stern look and said, "No talking. Unless, of course, you'd like to come to the front of the room and explain to _everyone _exactly what you were talking about! We wouldn't want to be excluded."

Ah, Suikotsu… confusing, evil, genius Suikotsu…

"No thanks," I muttered, blushing furiously.

Then Suikotsu had a total mood change, and stern glares turned into vibrant grins. "Great! Then listen up, I have some instructions for you all."

Inuyasha and I exchanged a glance, eyebrows raised. Suikotsu, smiling genially, said, "Everyone, it's time."

_It's time. _I really do love those words.

Why, you ask? Because they could be followed with anything! It's time to eat, it's time to sleep, it's time to watch TV, it's time to kill your enemies, it's time to die… whoever coined the phrase _it's time _has earned my endless appreciation.

"It's time to give your children and your journals a goodbye kiss."

_Huh?_

Inuyasha and I stared at Shinju, who was now sitting on my lap. "But you owe me two days to take care of her!" he objected, staring at the doll. "I took care of her for the last three!"

"Two," I corrected. Turning to Suikotsu, I frowned and asked confusedly, "Weren't we turning them in next week?"

"Yeah!" someone in the back shouted, sounding alarmed. "We haven't even gotten to do the family outing thing yet!"

"Who cares?" another voice said. "We're FREE!"

Immediately the class erupted into a variety of reactions. Suikotsu, ever-so-patient, yelled, "SHUT UP AND LET ME TALK!"

Silence. Not quite a surprised silence.

Grinning, he explained, "I don't really care about the family outing. It'll be extra credit for those who've done it, and for the rest of you, you won't be penalized. But I decided that I was getting tired of hearing you guys whine about the project every day; a few more minutes of it and I might've cut off your mouths, so to avoid lawsuits, I've determined that we should move on to our next unit."

We gawked at him.

"So… this is it. Turn in your materials now, to me! I'll be calling out names!"

And with that, Suikotsu took out a large cardboard box and began calling students up to the front desk.

I stared at Shinju, feeling a little numb. I mean, sure, Suikotsu was a deranged nut, but still… could this be a test? A test to see whether we really cared about our children? Was he testing to see if we would be willing to give our babies to random strangers with cardboard boxes? WERE WE ALL GOING TO FAIL?

The class suddenly giggled, and Suikotsu, looking amused, said, "Well… I guess I _am_ a deranged nut, but I'm not testing you. The project really is over."

Oh… I guess I'd been speaking out loud again…

Inuyasha was cracking up.

When it was our turn, we approached the box slowly, almost cautiously. I hesitated in front of it, looking down at Shinju… the doll who had somehow worked her way into my heart. Almost like a worm but, well, _cuter. _And not a WORM.

…Or a parasite.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at me, grinning a little. "She'll be fine. You've gotta let them go some day."

"I don't know," I said, feeling dizzy. "Having a night's sleep might be too much for me…"

Suikotsu smirked at me. "I guarantee that she will be more than comfortable in the closet."

I smiled at him in thanks, about to release Shinju, until something occurred to me.

_THE CLOSET?_

Oh my god. I was gonna freaking cry.

Feeling like I was abandoning my child to a deranged psychopath who would stuff her in a closet, I lowered her into the box with shaking hands. Shinju. Stuffed in a box, smothered by babies, abandoned in a dark closet for _months _until she was given to SOMEBODY ELSE…

How could I live with myself?

To my surprise, it was Inuyasha who said the magic words, Inuyasha who knew exactly the truth to tell to make me realize that I was doing the right thing. "Oi, Kagome. How long do you think you could've kept sane with Shinju? Eventually she'd be duct-taped to the floor or something. She's better off here."

Better… off… here?

Oh my god. He was right.

"Goodbye, Shinju!" I said, depositing her in the box, unsure whether I was going to cry or laugh hysterically. "I'll miss you, really! But trust me—you're better off here! You'll be fine! You'll make friends! You'll—"

"NEXT!"

And then I was pushed toward my desk by Suikotsu and pulled by Inuyasha, thoroughly disgruntled.

My baby… was gone. But I smiled. You have to let them grow up someday. You have to let them be their own person, live their own life…

…Even if it's in a closet.

.x.x.

_~Science Class~_

There was something very wrong about science class today.

I knew it from the moment I separated from Inuyasha. I knew it instinctively, viscerally… it was without thought or calculation that the knowledge came to me, without searching that I found it: the realization that something was wrong.

Something was very, very wrong.

The sensation of _wrongness _started while I walked to the lab. It was far too peaceful, I realized. Far too peaceful, lost in the crowds of students and rough upperclassmen who pushed to get to their classes… much more serene than I had come to expect.

_Why_ was it serene, you ask?

It took me a while to figure it out, but then I realized it was because there was no Hakudoshi.

Why _wasn't _Hakudoshi with me? Why wasn't he beside me, walking me to class, like he'd done nearly every day since the first? He had perfect attendance, he'd never been absent. He'd been here in the morning, too, though he hadn't spoken to me. So why, then, was he ignoring me?

Not that it hurt my feelings. Instead of feeling insulted, I felt uneasy.

The feeling wore on my nerves as I opened the door, made me so static and hyperaware that when I touched the knob I felt a spark of electricity jab my thumb. I pulled back, jumping a little… shaking my head vigorously. Nothing was wrong, nothing was off. So what if Hakudoshi had let me walk alone? So what if he had created a tiny flaw in that eerie routine of ours? It didn't mean anything.

Slowly, apprehensively, I opened the door, wishing my friends were here with me.

Hakudoshi was sitting in his seat. He barely looked up as I sat down in my own, inches away from him. In fact, he didn't even acknowledge me except for a small, "Hello."

"Hi."

Silence. The bad kind.

Silence is one of the most complex things in the world. There are good silences, bad silences. Some silences are like hot baths on sore skin, soothing and warm, rejuvenating to the senses. Some silences wear on the nerves, soaking into the pores not with steam and heat but with ice and frost. Freezing, stiffening, destroying…

This kind of silence was not either of those kinds. This was the kind that hinted at a great cold, building up inside me… a cold I would not notice until it had me in the clutches of death.

That's the worst kind of silence.

"Hey. Heard you and the half breed are an item."

I stiffened at Menomaru's voice—though more because of the irregularity of it than because it frightened me. I had a ward, I didn't need to fear… but why was he talking to me? Why _here? _He _never _spoke to me in science class, _never _bothered me… not now…

It was another break in the routine, and it chilled me.

I turned around to glare at him, biting back my unease. "Don't call him a half breed. But _yes_, we're together. I don't see why you'd care, though."

Menomaru smirked. "Just sizing up our targets. Aren't we, Yura?"

Yura came to stand beside him, wrapping her arms about his waist. "Yes we are," she murmured, smiling at me.

My eyes narrowed. I was frightened, yes. Unnerved, of course. But I was getting better at dealing with people like this, and I managed to say firmly, voice steady, "If you're going to _target _us, couldn't you at least tell us what you want from us?"

Before they could answer, Hakudoshi spoke. Looking up, eyes cool, a pleasant smile plastered across his face, he said, "It doesn't matter what they want. They won't get it."

Maybe because of his words, maybe because of the threat embedded within them, maybe because of how it seemed like he wasn't talking to any of us in particular but instead just voicing his thoughts, I shivered.

"Yeah?" Menomaru challenged. "And you think _you—_"

"Menomaru, Yura, please take your seats."

Their heads whipped up… just in time to see Mr. Naraku at his desk, glaring coolly at them.

They went to their seats, and class began.

This, too, was a break from the routine. Naraku always said hello to Hakudoshi and me before starting class. _Always, _invariably, he said hello. Why not now? Why not today? What had changed?

Why was everyone being so _bizarre?_

Maybe I was making too much of things, maybe I was overreacting. But after seeing what I'd seen… after feeling life in the Orb of Night, after nearly being sucked into it, after being threatened and fighting and living… how could I ever dismiss anything ever again?

I simply couldn't. No matter how small the fault, how tiny the crack… I couldn't just overlook it. But there was no way to patch up a metaphorical crack, so the only thing I could do was wait and watch it as it spread… along the walls, along the ceiling, along the floor.

Until it gathered under my feet and the ground splintered into nothing.

.x.x.

_~End of School~_

"Is Inuyasha driving you guys back home?" Sango asked as we stopped by our lockers.

I smiled. "Yep." Smirking, seeing the chance for payback, I said slyly, "So, Sango… who's driving _you _home? Not any perverted monks, I'm sure…"

She reddened, and I threw a party in my head. Over the noise of people throwing up booze and fainting and screaming and music and lights and other stuff I hate, there was only one thought in my mind:

_THIS _is what you get for rounding up a classroom of excitable teenagers and a stupid teacher and making up a creepy make-out-with-Inuyasha chant, Sango! My friends, don't make my _friends' _mistake, or else I'll be after YOU, too!

I smirked wider. She's gonna be paying for that for a _long _time.

"W-WHAT?" Sango stuttered. "NO! OF COURSE NOT! NEVER! …Yes."

Rin and I giggled.

Giving us a death glare which might have rivaled my own, thereby effectively cutting off our giggling, Sango growled, "It doesn't mean anything, okay?"

"Sure," we said, exchanging a glance.

"Don't worry," Rin chirped. "We'll talk to you about it later; Miroku's coming down the hallway, now. You might want to turn around before he grabs your butt."

Ah, the sweetness of watching _other _people's faces bleed.

At the loud shout of, "SANGO, MY DEAR!" Sango groaned, turning around to face him, hand already going to her Hiraikotsu. A chorus of smirks and giggles erupted in the hallway; apparently, Sango's and Miroku's love-hate relationship was no secret.

Also apparently, Sango's formidable Glares of Death By Torture were known and feared, because in the next instant, nearly everyone in the hallway jumped into their lockers.

"Miroku," Sango muttered, "What did I tell you about calling me _dear?_"

He clapped his hands over his mouth dramatically. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you wanted me to call you _love_—"

Cue Sango erupting into fire. Cue me, Rin, and Inuyasha—right behind Miroku—laughing. Cue Miroku getting hit in the head by a boomerang.

"In your dreams," Sango said, almost resignedly. Which was weird, considering she'd just practically incapacitated Miroku.

Miroku got to his feet, unfazed, and said simply, "Perhaps."

Sango reddened even _more_ before yelling, "LET'S JUST GET TO THE CAR!"

She dragged him away with a harried good-bye to us, and soon they were out of sight. Apparently deeming the coast clear, locker doors opened and pale-lipped students emerged into the hallway.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "They're so stupid."

Rin smiled. "They're cute, though. I hope they get together soon."

"Yeah," I agreed, grinning. "We'll see how _they _feel when we tell them to make out in public."

Inuyasha laughed at that. "Keh, yeah! Come on, let's get to the car."

The ride back home was pretty normal, for the most part: Inuyasha and I shared our experiences and exaggerated tiny details into insane stories, stories which made us and Rin laugh until tears pricked our eyes. That was expected, that was familiar, that was comforting. It was good to know that even while we'd been separated, we'd been unified by the torture we had to endure.

Yeah, _that _sounded masochistic.

"Hey," Inuyasha said suddenly when we pulled up in front of my house. "Why am I dropping you off, anyway? You want to hang out or something?" Faltering slightly, he glanced at my sister and added awkwardly, "Uh… you can come, too, if you wanna."

Rin only smiled, eyes twinkling as she smirked at us. "No, thanks. I've got better things to do than hang out and be a third wheel."

There was no bitterness in her voice, no slight regret. Not like I'd _expected _there to be, but… I was still surprised. And it took me awhile to realize that my surprise wasn't caused by the lack of bitterness—instead, it was caused by the presence of an overwhelming joy.

The same joy I'd witnessed during Japanese Language. The same joy I'd observed all day.

A joy that had nothing to do with Inuyasha and I going out.

"Sorry, Inuyasha," I said, "But… this isn't a good time."

To my relief, he wasn't hurt or offended. Not that that surprised me, but I was heartened to see a smirk spread across his face instead of a frown.

Raising an eyebrow, he grinned and said, "Not that I have doubts in your social life or anything, but hey, if you'd rather hang out with a tub of cookie dough and the TV than with me—"

"I'm hanging out with my _sister_, thank you very much," I growled, punching him playfully on the shoulder.

Yeah… with my sister… who immediately stiffened.

Looks like it might be cookie dough and the TV after all.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, smirking as he said, "I know that, stupid. Anyway… you guys have fun, and I'll see you tomorrow."

I hopped out of the car, offering him a goodbye smile, and made my way around the front. But just as I passed his door, he whipped his arm out and grabbed my wrist with a, "Wait!"

I quirked an eyebrow at him, smiling slightly. "Yes?"

Grinning a little, he said, "You know what's stupid? I don't even have your fucking cell phone number."

Grinning even wider, struggling to hold in laughter, I told him, "There might be a reason for that, you know."

"Yeah?" His low voice brushed my face as he pulled me closer, fingers tracing the skin on the back of my neck. He leaned forward, our foreheads touching as his hand came to rest on the side of my throat.

Just ignore it, Kagome… concentrate, Kagome… ignore the way his thumb is rubbing circles into your neck… just ignore it…

His forehead touching mine, I could feel his breath on my face as he muttered, "Is it called, _I'm a stupid wench and I can't remember my own cell phone number_?"

I shook my head, giggling a little—his touch was making me delirious, I swear. I put my lips right next to his ear and whispered, a smirk tweaking my lips, "No. It's called, _I dropped my cell phone down a sink drain in Okinawa and now I don't _have _a cell phone._"

And had Rin not chose that moment to cough significantly, we might have started kissing RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER. As it was, I leaned back, planted my lips on his nose, and skipped out of his grasp before he could realize what I'd said.

"Oi! Kagome!" I turned around at his voice, only to see him gawking insultingly at me. "Are you serious?"

All humor gone, I nodded with a reluctant sigh. I could still remember the moment; it had been a sad day indeed, when I stared dismally down the dark sink drain, listening to the churning of filters and the breaking of phones… well, only one phone… _my phone…_

Inuyasha, being Inuyasha, guffawed.

"You _moron! _Who the hell drops their _cell phone _down a _sink drain?_" he demanded between bursts of laughter.

He looked like he was doubled over with really bad cramps. Maybe it was the smile or maybe it was his _gender_, but I had a feeling that that was not the case… much as I wished it would be.

And so I decided to implement one of my many skills, and called adoringly, eyes shining with innocent sweetness, "Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha was no idiot.

Inuyasha floored it.

.x.x.

**A/N: Hey, I changed the summary for the story. Is it better or worse?**

**YOUR REVIEWS MADE ME SO HAPPY! :D I really liked writing the last chapter, too, so I'm SO happy you guys loved it! Thank you to BGuate224, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, beautiful-surreal, Roses Kiss, nijagurl512, Tomatosoup inc., k and ai, Alechaos Ogigio, Sakura-Suzumura, MidnightFlame325, MegamanSora, k, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, 00-Wild-Fire-00, xXthenextbookwormXx, LunaP, HelloGoodbye, Diamond369, GoldenRose88, Inu-Yasha lov3r1, booklover2thextreme, Daichilover, and hihi123 for reviewing! :D :D :D XD**

**Oh for hihi123: I think you mentioned something about Sesshomaru having eight years of high school and not being able to get his pronouns right…? I'm not sure what you meant by that, but my conclusion is that I must have made a grammar mistake, lol… unless you're referring to the 'this sesshomaru' thing… xD **

**And by the way, for the update pace, the VAST (and I mean insanely, amazingly VAST) majority of reviewers want me to keep the chapter lengths like usual, rather than shortening them so I could update sooner, and I completely agree with you! So that is what the plan is. :) **

**Oh also, a very observant reviewer named Curious asked awhile ago whether they wore uniforms or whatever they wanted to school, because I mentioned Kagome and Rin wearing a uniform, but I also mentioned Yura dressing like a slut. Hehe… well… about that… *nervous laugh* okay, I screwed up. I'M INCONSISTENT! DX Hopefully you guys won't hate me for it, though :P. **

**Anyway, I think that I'll say this on clothes: they wear whatever they want. Their schedule is already American-styled and all that, so to hell with uniforms! Honestly, I sort of wish I'd based them in the US, because I know so little about Japan (other than what I've seen in anime XD) and didn't really stick with Japanese lifestyle. I feel like I copped out on that. But whatever. Too late. xD **

**THANK YOU SO MUCH! REVIEW! Next chapter's shorter than usual, but it's already written, so… if I get a lot of reviews, I'll update soon. ;) **


	63. Secrets

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hey guys! This is a shortie, sorry :(. Like 6-7 pages. And it's not as funny as the last few have been, but hopefully you'll like it anyway! Funniness, humor, and Kags' loveable insanity and sarcasm will pick up again in the next chapter! Read and review!**

.x.x.

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE: SECRETS

It was quiet for a short moment after Inuyasha left me and Rin on our front porch. I glanced at her, wondering why she was staring at me… or more appropriately, at my right hand.

"Uh, Kagome?" Rin said wryly, grinning. "Were you planning on opening the door anytime soon, or were you still in Inuyasha-Land?"

I smirked at her. "I'm the one who should be asking _you _what planet you're on," I said, trying to hide my unease, trying to keep my hand steady as I opened the front door.

Rin laughed at that. Or rather, she tried to. But I saw through her false humor in an instant, right down to the core of her: a tiny speck of unease, buried amidst the overwhelming happiness.

You know what bothered me most? That _I _seemed to be the one causing the unease.

We stepped into the house, shutting the door, throwing our backpacks to the ground. They landed with soft thuds, unnoticed by us; all our attention was on each other as we stood in the foyer.

I waited for her to speak… but she, apparently, was not interested in waiting for _me._

Rin turned to me with a wide, evil grin, and asked ominously, "You know what you have to do?"

Besides interrogate _her? _Well, other than that task—which she seemed determined to make impossible—I couldn't think of anything, so I said blankly, "Nope, not really."

Rin smirked. I stared. Rin grinned. I shifted. Rin laughed. I paled.

I'd just begun to think that she was reminding me of Suikotsu when it hit me.

"NO! N-nononononononononono!"

"YES," she said triumphantly, planting her hands on her hips, eyes laughing with delight although no sound escaped her mouth.

"Anything," I moaned. "Anything but that. Please… I'm too young to die… you know what they'll do to me…!"

Rin smiled innocently at me. "I'm only looking out for your welfare. I mean, it's better that _you _tell them. Imagine what would happen if you _didn't _tell them… and if they somehow FOUND OUT…"

The notion that rumors don't generally travel from Tokyo to Okinawa occurred vaguely to me, but I was too busy imagining my own demise to think too much about trivial things like that. I could picture it perfectly, vividly:

.x.x.

_"Kagome!"_

_ "Eri!"_

_ "Kagome!"_

_ "Ayumi!"_

_ "KAGOME!"_

_ "ERI AND AYUMI!"_

We would hug, do all the typical reunion things, scream each others' names, act like deranged idiots with mental issues. They would squeeze me as tightly as ever, and I would feel like I was about to die… unaware that they would be hiding sharpened chopsticks behind their backs, and I _would be _about to die.

_"We're sooooo glad to see you, Kagome!" _Eri would exclaim, smile vindictive and eyes haunting. But of course I wouldn't notice that; I'd be too happy to be back in Okinawa.

_"Yeah! We're so glad you could come visit! You have NO idea," _Ayumi would say significantly. But I wouldn't notice the eerie repetition of the stupid phrase, _so glad, _and I would just think that the significant subtext was, "Eri has been driving me freaking insane. I need these two weeks with you to maintain my sanity." However, unbeknownst to poor little me, the subtext would be something very different.

_"We've missed you so much," _Eri would say sweetly. _"Tell me… has anything interesting happened lately?"_

Her tone would get darker. My throat would get tighter.

_"Uh… not particularly…" _Insert nervous laugh, insert evil glares, insert their bodies towering over me, insert chopsticks rustling behind their backs. _"Hehe… hehehe… uh… er… why?"_

_ "Oh, no reason," _they would say. _"Oh, just a hunch," _they would tell me. _"Oh, nothing except the fact that YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND AND YOU DIDN'T TELL US!"_

And that would be a scream. And then I would be dead.

And then they would walk away, twirling their chopsticks, talking jovially about how they wanted to meet my boyfriend, possibly forgetting that they had left my mangled body on the floor of the airport.

Yeah. That's sort of a big deal, guys.

.x.x.

"RIN! OH MY GOD! I'M GOING TO DIE!"

Rin, whose "DISTRACT KAGOME FROM MY WEIRD, DISTURBING HAPPINESS" plan had been a one hundred percent success, laughed at my evident terror. "You're not going to die," she giggled. "You're going to email Eri and Ayumi and tell them about Inuyasha—that way, you won't have to worry about their hugs, screams, and chopsticks!"

Again: how does my sister know from my body posture _how _I imagined I was going to die? If anybody still finds her omniscience creepy, then you are lacking some important coping skills, my friends.

I groaned, shaking my head, eyes wide. "But… but… what if they kill me over the internet?"

Rin smiled at me and explained patiently, "They won't be able to kill you over the internet, Kagome. That's not possible."

Oh… right.

Hehe. I knew that.

I'm not sure how she finally convinced me—maybe it was her clever _death-by-email-is-not-possible _debate, or maybe it was the fact that getting accidentally killed online by their excitement wouldn't be as painful as getting killed by chopsticks and hugs—but somehow, we found ourselves on the cough with the big, ugly, ancient family laptop on the table in front of us.

My fingers shook on the keyboard, and I began to type out the message which would eventually kill me.

_Hey guys!_

_ Things have been cool lately. I mean, aside from scary demons trying to kill me and the general Tokyo-ness of it all, living here isn't that bad. …WOW that was hard to type. I miss you guys a lot, and Okinawa. Honestly, I wish I could just pick up with my new friends and move us all back over there, but somehow, I don't think they'd like that so much._

_ Anyway. Rin and I haven't failed math yet. Sango's pretty good at math. Hey, you know Inuyasha?… well… um… about him… uh… you know who he is, right? The one I told you about? The half demon who I used to hate but became friends with? Well, about him… he… uh… he… well…_

_ HE'S GOOD AT MATH! Shocking, right? Yeah. Shocking. _

_ …Really shocking._

_ Oh we handed in the baby dolls today. Inuyasha and I finally named ours. Her name is Shinju. I might miss her a little—it's weird not to be carrying her all the time—but I definitely don't miss the sleepless nights. And trust me, she'll be better off with Suikotsu, as unlikely as that sounds._

_ Sorry. I don't really sound like myself right now. Well… uh… there's a reason for that. I'm too busy imagining you guys killing me to be insane. _

_ You know Inuyasha? The guy who—never mind. I blab about him enough as it is._

_ Well… uh… you see…_

_ Funny story…_

_ I really don't want to say this… I REALLY, REALLY don't want to say this…_

_ Seriously I don't…_

_ We're going out._

At the click of a button, I sent my own death warrant to my executioners.

"Hey Rin?" I said sweetly.

She smiled. "Yeah? Doesn't it feel good to get it over with?"

Instead of answering her question, I asked, "Does it feel good to know that you've just ensured your sister's death?"

Rin grinned. "No, but it feels good to know that I've just _saved _my sister's _life_. Come on, let's go downstairs and watch TV—something to distract you from your impending demise."

I shook my head confusedly. Something was wrong; Rin never asks to watch TV. Rin usually doesn't _like _TV. So, obviously, something was very, very out of place.

And then I remembered.

"No," I said firmly, sitting pretzel-style and turning to face her. "We're going to talk."

Rin sighed, smiling at me, tension radiating off of her skin. Like usual, despite her efforts, her emotions were clearly written across her face. "Sure," she chirped, voice a little more high pitched than usual. "Uh… what about?"

I decided to play it casual, comforting. Rin responds best when she feels safe, and we've always felt safe in each other's presence before… so maybe all I had to do was remind her of that. Of that fact that I was her sister, that she could trust me with anything.

"Don't pretend you haven't been glowing like a firecracker all day," I said wryly, leaning forward, eyes sparkling with interest. "You have to tell me _something!_"

Rin laughed awkwardly. "Come on, Kagome, you know I don't have anything to tell…"

"Don't be shy," I teased, noting her blush, grinning widely. "I told you about me and Inuyasha. You _owe _me."

Rin smirked. "But I would have found out about that anyway, when he came to pick you up this morning."

Frowning, trying to be casual, trying to hide my sudden concern but having the uneasy feeling that I wasn't succeeding, I said, "What, so I'm not going to find out whatever happened to _you…_ eventually?"

We both noticed how my voice shrank on the last word, and we both winced. Suddenly pretenses were gone, forfeited, thrown to the wind and scattered in ashes. Suddenly all my guards had been lowered, and simultaneously, all her guards had been raised.

And we were left at a standstill, waiting for one of us to break the first uncomfortable silence we had ever had.

Rin stood slowly, getting shakily to her feet. She forced a smile as she asked, "Want some ice cream?"

"Sit down," I ordered.

Not a blink. No hesitation.

A solid command.

Rin twitched, as if her reflex was to sit but her mind told her to stand. Her eyes flicked to the couch, to the spot she had left empty… to me, sitting alone. And for a second I thought she was going to sit; for a second, I thought she was going to crack.

I was wrong.

Rin didn't smile this time when she told me, "I'll get you strawberry. How many scoops?"

"Two."

The number wasn't significant; she gleaned nothing from it. Rin turned on her heel and glided gracefully into the kitchen, leaving me on the couch, unsure why I was letting her get me ice cream; I mean, fine, I'm not the most skilled cook, but I could handle a freaking _ice cream scooper!_

Suddenly unable to sit still, I leapt to my feet and joined her by the freezer, into which she was peering with obvious disappointment. "No cotton candy," she murmured, face contorting into a frown. Digging fervently through the mounds of ice and frozen dinners, she ravaged the freezer in search of her favorite tub of ice cream, searching and searching without a pause for breath. Her chest became tighter, the cold air of the freezer wafting out across the floor, raising goose bumps on our skin.

I put a hand on her shoulder, and she went rigid.

"Forget the ice cream," I said, exasperated. "Rin… why are you avoiding me?"

The slight sadness which crept into my tone made her slowly stand, lightly closing the freezer door. "I'm not avoiding you," she said softly, smiling slightly. And there it was again: that joy, the unexplainable joy, the joy which radiated off of every inch of her being, clung to her hair and her clothes and her skin.

"I don't know what happened that's making you so happy," I said, grinning a little, "But whatever it is, I'm definitely glad it happened. So why won't you tell me what it is?"

Rin just shook her head, turning to meet my eyes, her own eyes tightening infinitesimally. "You can't promise that," she told me, shaking her head, eyes blank and face numb… as if wishing with all her heart that she was wrong.

"Promise what?" I asked, utterly confused.

"That you're definitely glad it happened!" she cried out, a hint of exasperation mixing with her unease. "How can you promise that when you don't know what you're talking about?"

Rin brushed past me, jumping onto the couch, grabbing the remote and bringing the television to life. She stared blankly at the strangers on the screen, characters she didn't recognize, events which had never happened. Gently, I took the remote from her, turning the screen black once again, people and places fading into nothingness.

The only people and place that mattered now was us. _Here._

"Rin?"

I resolved that I wouldn't speak again until she answered me. If I were going to get through to her, her permission would be vital, her cooperation invaluable. And if she wasn't ready for me to pry, then… I would have to wait.

A small, "Yes?" told me to continue.

"Rin…" frowning, my own eyes tightening, I asked quietly, "Are you afraid of me?"

She shook her head, barely hesitating before replying, "Only of what you might think."

Somehow, this didn't comfort me. Rin was afraid of what I would think? Why the hell would she be afraid of what I would think? How could something that made her this happy do anything besides thrill me?

"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion. "What do you think I'm going to say?"

I don't know what it was about those words that hit her hard, slapped her in the face, made her jump abruptly to her feet. Suddenly her hands were in fists, her eyes were tightly closed, her lower lip punctured by her teeth as she began to speak in a shaking voice.

"I already told you," she nearly growled, eyes flashing open, burning with an intensity that made me take a step back. "It's not what you're going to _say. _It's what you're going to _think. _I…" she hesitated, staring at me, before saying quickly, "I know that no matter how you feel, you'll support me. You have no other option but to trust me, and I know you'd never make me give up something that made me so happy. But… but… you can't help your opinions, your thoughts! And even if you tell me it's fine, it'll just be because you don't have any other choice! But I know what you'll _think_, and as long as you're thinking it… I can't be happy." She turned burning brown orbs to me, staring deeply into mine, fervently… trying to send a plea without words, reaching for help without offering her hand. "I've almost never been so happy," she whispered. "If I tell you, it'll ruin it. And knowing that you're ruining it would make _you _unhappy, too. And… I couldn't do that to you. To either of us. I couldn't live with myself, knowing that I was creating a rift between us." Offering me a small, teary-eyed smile, she asked, "Don't you understand?"

Understand? Of course I didn't understand! Not one freaking bit. I didn't understand her unspoken plea for acceptance, I didn't understand her hysteria, and I definitely didn't understand the sense that this was something she'd been brooding over for longer than just today. But I was too stunned to be angry at her… too shocked to be frustrated.

All I felt was a rising wave of guilt.

"Rin, I don't want you to be upset!" I said hastily, feeling tears prick my own eyes. "You're not creating a rift between us! You'll _never _create a rift between us. And neither will I. I… I promise."

"Oh my god, you're crying," Rin said, eyes widening. "I knew this was a bad idea. This is why I didn't want to talk about it."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not crying. Don't be stupid. This is why we _need _to talk about it."

"NO!" she nearly screamed, suddenly frightened. "This is why we _shouldn't _talk about it! This is why we should just… just… forget it! …Please!"

I was about to argue, I was about to yell, but that last word broke me. My mouth fell open in a soundless gasp; Rin averted her eyes.

"I… I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I just… I'm worried about you."

About her, about us, about what this secret might mean… I was worried about everything.

Rin looked at me now. I thought her eyes would be sad, sorrowful, but I was surprised to see them glow with warmth. She threw her arms around me, burying her head in my shoulder, and the immense relief which assailed me made me exhale forcefully. "Rin, I—"

"Shut up," she muttered. "Let's just forget this, okay? Don't fly off the handle."

I sighed, hugging her back, accepting the truce. "You can trust me, you know," I said softly. "With anything. Nothing will change anything between us. _That _I can promise."

Rin shook her head, stepping away, smiling up at me. "I love you, Kagome. I just don't want to see you get hurt is all."

The geniality, the genuineness, and the pure sincerity of her smile made me falter a little. "I… same here."

What power did she have that allowed her to smile like that? How could she create that wide curve of her lips, that glow of her eyes, that could render even _me _powerless? How the heck did she do it?

…And why did that smile worry me?

Rin pulled away, giggling a giggle unmarred by anxiety or unease. "Love fests are the best," she said, still laughing. "I think that hugging is the best medicine for anything."

I was afraid to ask her what she thought needed medicine, because if she said _our bond_ or _our trust_, I thought something inside me might break. So I kept silent, and smiled, and laughed with her, trying to hide my worry and knowing that she could see right through me. Like always, her eyes pierced into my soul as if my very body were transparent.

But for the first time, she didn't mention the part of me which I tried so hard to hide.

.x.x.

**A/N: I LOVE MY NEW SCHOOL SO MUCH! Sorry, I had to let that out. I definitely made the right decision to go to an application-based public school instead of the regular one. The kids are awesome, the teachers are great, and the classes seem to be cool, too. **

**Unfortunately, my new school is also going to kill me. We're going on a field trip tomorrow for three days, so I WON'T BE ABLE TO WRITE FOR THREE DAYS. Holy shit. I'm going to die of withdrawals. O.O**

**(Of course while I'm actually there, having fun, socializing and crap, I probably won't be feeling the need to go sit in the corner and write/type, but right now, that's looking pretty good to me. xD)**

**Thank you to beautiful-surreal, Roses Kiss, Tomatosoup inc., BlueStar555, k and ai, ninjagurl512, MidnightFlame325, xXthenextbookwormXx, BGuate224, mika, iheartinuyasha, Sakura-Suzumura, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, i-rock-101, HelloGoodbye, and purduepup for reviewing! You guys are awesome! Not many people commented on the summary, and those who did were either indifferent or liked the other, or something about the other, better, so I will probably be changing it back! Thanks so much for your help! :D**

**And now—to get your lovely names mentioned in the A/N of the next chapter (and doesn't that just feel great?)—REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! **


	64. In Your Faces Oh, they're in JAIL! XP

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Ugh. **_**Ugh. **_**UGH! **

**SO sorry for the long wait! I had a major lack of motivation to write for about a week, and then just when my writing picked up again I began getting bombarded by all the homework I'd been putting off. Lesson learned: procrastination = death.**

**Anyway, hopefully you'll like this. :)**

.x.x.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR: IN YOUR FACES. OH, WAIT. THEY'RE IN _JAIL! _XP

.

Tuesday came and went without much event.

Then again, maybe that's a little critical of me. After all, what could possibly be called eventful after the events of Sunday and Monday? After me and Inuyasha got together, the entire school found out, and I discovered that my own sister was keeping secrets from me—all in the space of two days—what could ever be called _eventful?_

I found out on Wednesday.

Adjusting to my new "love life" wasn't as hard as I would have thought. In fact, by the end of Tuesday, I found that being with Inuyasha was almost second nature; ignoring the _aww's _and catcalls, blocking out the grinning friends and wide eyes, came as easily as breathing. And with him right by me, equally embarrassed and annoyed… it wasn't so hard.

By mid Wednesday the teasing barely even annoyed me.

By late Wednesday two cops showed up in the door of Family class.

These were not your typical tranquilizer-armed high school goons, nor were they, unfortunately, a bunch of lost children playing Cop. So when the door swung open and a burly man and woman walked into the classroom, my immediate reaction was to panic and think, _OH MY GOD JAPAN'S BEING INVADED THIS IS JUST LIKE CODE GEASS WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE ENSLAVED!_

…Then I noticed their badges, and I realized that the truth was just as bad, if not worse.

"Excuse the interruption, Mr. Suikotsu," the woman said respectfully. "We need to speak with four of your students."

While the rest of the class went silent, Inuyasha and I went rigid.

I saw Inuyasha's eyes tighten in concern as he sensed my sudden fear, and I think that that infinitesimal change was what made me take control. He can't always be protecting me… he can't always be comforting me… I had to take charge of my panic eventually, had to quell my fears. And regardless of what was about to happen, regardless of which names they were about to call… I would face it head on.

"Menomaru Kenji. Gatenmaru Gorou."

Well, that didn't _necessarily _mean anything. They're theoretically part of a gang, right? And gangs do bad stuff… they could be in for anything… not for us… not with us… not on Sunday…

"Inuyasha Takahashi. Kagome Higurashi."

Permission to swear? I think so.

_Shit._

Okay. So maybe I've cut class before, maybe I've gotten detentions, maybe I've come close to flunking tests… but I've never _actually _flunked, never been suspended, never gotten a mark on my permanent record… not to mention with the POLICE! What was about to happen? To me, to Inuyasha? This was obviously about Sunday; someone had seen us, someone had reported us, and of course that someone wouldn't have known what was going on. They wouldn't have known that Inuyasha was fighting to _protect _me, they wouldn't have known that Gatenmaru and Menomaru were _threatening _us… all they would have seen was a brawl.

All they would have done was report it—not bothering to figure out the details.

And if that were the case, then Inuyasha and I might be punished along with Menomaru and Gatenmaru.

I sat in my desk, beginning to shake, eyes wide. _Get a grip, Kagome, GET A FREAKING GRIP! _But I couldn't get a grip—not on my life, not on the desk, and definitely not on the fact that the police thought me and Inuyasha were gang members.

There was nothing to hold on to… nothing except Inuyasha's hand, which he offered to me.

"Oi, snap out of it," he said, pulling me to my feet. Grasping tighter to my hand, lowering his voice, he muttered, "We didn't do anything wrong. We're safe."

And I nodded like I believed it, nodded like the truth would make a difference without evidence… like we could be witnesses for ourselves.

We're doomed. We're freaking doomed.

Hands clasped tightly together, Inuyasha and I straightened our shoulders, arched our spines, and wiped our faces blank as we marched out of the classroom and into the hall, ignoring the gawks of our classmates. Menomaru and Gatenmaru followed, silent, faces unreadable.

"They're nervous," Inuyasha growled, loud enough for both me and them to hear. "They know what they did."

"Like hell we're nervous, half breed," Gatenmaru snarled, impeccable mask breaking.

Inuyasha whirled around, smirking. "You're nervous as hell, jackass. I can smell it in your scent."

"Why would I be nervous? You fucking attacked us."

"QUIET!" the policeman shouted, not turning around to look at us. "Follow me. We're going to the principal's office."

Hmm… major déjà vu, here.

It felt eerily like that time two weeks ago, but with two major differences: first, I was holding Inuyasha's hand, rather than wishing I could strangle him. Second, rather than having my whole self-righteous "I'M RIGHT AND YOU'RE WRONG AND YOU CAN DIE I JUST WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE" act going on, I knew that I was in the thick of it as much as anyone else. That knowledge, the knowledge that there might not be justice this time, made my heart beat quickly and my breath come shallowly… but at the same time, taking responsibility felt sort of good.

It made me feel like I had control.

There was another boy sitting outside the principal's office, glaring at the floor with murderous eyes and a bored grimace, but it seemed that police matters took priority. We marched right in, opened the door, and faced the man who was our principal.

Except he wasn't alone.

In that moment, several things happened in quick succession. First, we realized that the principle was speaking in a hushed voice with our very own Hakudoshi, and I thought I was going to go into a coma. Second, the two seemed to become aware of our presence and turned to face us. Third, I realized something very important and incredibly disturbing.

Hakudoshi was the principal's son.

Principal Tsukino's eyes were exactly the same as I remembered them: black as a starless night, voids in an icy, pleasant face. His skin was the same cold turquoise, the same blue which shimmered slightly, like a dull crystal in the sun. And his hair… his hair was still white.

With him standing next to Hakudoshi, with the previous moment's intensity sliding neatly off of their faces in eerie synchrony, it was impossible not to realize that they were family.

How the heck could I have somehow missed this BEFORE?

A pleasant smile trespassed on Tsukino's face, and just like it had done the first time I met him, it made me shiver. There was something not right about this man, about his smiles, about his amiable chatter and his sense of justice. Something was… off.

It was the cyanide-laced lollipop again. When he smiled, all traces of the poison fell away, leaving the lollipop to seem all the more sinister in its innocence.

He reminded me exactly of Hakudoshi.

"Ah," he said, folding his hands in front of him, placing cool black eyes on our police escorts. "I see you've found the students you were looking for. Now… could we please all sit down and hear what this is all about? I know I'm dying to know."

Hakudoshi's eyes flitted from his father's, to the police's, to Inuyasha's, and to mine. When his and Inuyasha's eyes clashed, a tangible tension radiated between them, a low growl rising in Inuyasha's throat. Not because he seemed scared but more because he seemed to think that a silent battle wasn't worth his time, Hakudoshi turned away with a hint of disdain.

"Keh," Inuyasha muttered.

I rolled my eyes. "Not now," I growled. "This isn't the time."

At the sound of my voice Hakudoshi looked up at me, but before I could so much as meet his gaze, it was gone. "I'll be leaving now," he murmured. "Goodbye, Father."

Tsukino nodded, still smiling, not looking at him. "I assume you'll think about what I said."

"Of course," he said, and turned to leave. Almost without a glance, almost without a sound. But at the last minute… when our shoulders were inches apart… he stopped.

"Good luck, Kagome."

And then he left.

Well… that was freaking weird.

After that, it was as if Hakudoshi had never been there, as if there had never been a moment when he had singled me out. Tsukino plastered his pleasant smile on his face, turned to all of us, and said calmly, "Sit. Let's talk."

We sat.

The policeman took out a file from his briefcase, pouring it over the table. "First, we should introduce ourselves. I'm Detective Nakamura, and this is my assistant, Ms. Yamamoto. We represent the Bureau of Community Peace and Protection. We received a report that there was a fight between four teenagers—three boys and one girl—on Sunday in Red Park. The witnesses gave descriptions of the perpetrators, and four names were mentioned: your names. When the police arrived on the scene, we caught sight of two teenagers fleeing the area. To have a brawl in such a public place is a direct violation of Sector 3A of the Code of Conduct, and apparently it caused a disturbance in the local area. We need to speak with those involved to understand the premise of the fight and decide whether action needs to be taken. Now, we do have DNA evidence, and we could ask you for DNA samples in the form of a cheek swab, but it would be much easier if you would just admit to being the ones involved right now, and we can move onto business."

I fidgeted, fingers tapping the table, and said firmly, "I was there."

Inuyasha glanced at me, smiling a little. Was he proud of my bravery? He turned to the police, rolled his eyes, and said, "Keh. No way am I sticking a toothpick in my mouth. I was there, too."

Menomaru and Gatenmaru grimaced and nodded, saying, "So were we."

Silence.

"Good. That makes it easier," Nakamura said, nodding in approval. He turned serious eyes to us and said, "Now… Menomaru and Gatenmaru. You are adults in demon terms, and I hope you know that should it be so determined, you are eligible for a prison sentence."

"What the fuck—_prison?_" Gatenmaru demanded, eyes bugging out of his skull. "The fuck is that? We just had a fight, that's all."

Menomaru shot a venomous glare at Inuyasha and I, growling, "And it's not like _we _started it. Anything we did was in self defense."

His lie was so flawless that I almost believed it myself… and I wasn't surprised when the spotlight was turned to me and Inuyasha.

"Is this true?" Nakamura inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"No," we said simultaneously, immediately, unthinkingly.

A pause. Then, "Then we'll have to find out what really happened. We're going to separate you four, and we're going to have each of you tell us your side of the story. You'd better hope your stories match up."

I swallowed nervously, turning to Inuyasha, and with our eyes, we asked what we were going to say. The truth? Would we spill everything, all that had happened since the beginning, how Menomaru and Gatenmaru were threatening us? Threatening _me? _

Did we have a choice?

And in that moment, I knew that we didn't have a choice—I realized that we'd never had a choice. It was all very well to try to handle feuds like this on your own, but once it gets serious… once it threatens lives… there was no way anything could be kept in your own hands.

Right now, our priority was to get ourselves out of juvenile detention (and hopefully to get Menomaru and Gatenmaru OUT OF OUR LIVES). And if the truth had to be told to prove our story true… then so be it.

Inuyasha nodded slowly, and I knew that he had made the same decision.

Bring it on, Menomaru and Gatenmaru. I don't care if justice is on our side—we'll take it and use it to beat the crap out of you anyway.

.x.x.

An hour later, the interrogation was over.

I don't know how that Detective could possibly have managed to stretch a three-minute story into a fifteen-minute Spanish Inquisition sans torture, but I've gotta hand it to him: he did it. By the end of it, my palms were shaky, my forehead was sweaty, and my lip had been chewed bloody, but somehow, my voice was steady as it illustrated my testimony.

We met again in the principal's office… together once more.

It was judgment time.

Nakamura and Yamamoto faced us, Yamamoto neatening up the edges of the stack of notes which she'd taken. Nakamura was slow, firm, businesslike, as he spoke. "Okay. We'll go over the stories again—we've got some serious accusations filed, and we'd like to see your reactions." He pulled out a piece of paper and began reading an account which I recognized as my own. My heart sped up as he repeated the words—_my _words. Something about that, about how they were mine, about how they were being displayed in the air in front of EVERYONE, made me uncomfortable.

But they were true—absolutely true. I just had to remember that.

When he was finished, Menomaru and Gatenmaru stood up, enraged. "That's bullshit!" Menomaru yelled. "You're just trying to protect your boyfriend!"

"Yeah, that half breed's the one that attacked _us _for no reason—"

"QUIET," Nakamura ordered. "We're getting to your statements now. Ms. Yamamoto, the papers, please?"

She took a few papers out of the pile, handed them to Nakamura, and he began to read:

"The persons in question have never been on friendly terms." By now, I was in absolute awe of the Detective's power of observation. "In the park, on Sunday at three p.m., words escalated into fists when Inuyasha Takahashi physically assaulted Menomaru Kenji and Gatenmaru Gorou. The latter two were forced to retaliate to preserve their own lives, particularly when Takahashi, a half demon, lost control over his vicious demon." That was the most BS I'd heard in one sentence since eighth grade when my health teacher tried to give us the sex talk. But just wait!—it gets even better.

The next statement was the one that rocked my world… and not because it was total BS.

"In an attempt to prevent Takahashi from killing Gorou and Kenji, Kagome Higurashi—noted, Takahashi's girlfriend, though not at the time of the incident—used a ward around her neck to repel Gorou and Kenji, thus ending the fight and calming Takahashi's demon." And then, as if he had not said something completely outrageous, as if he had not just said words fit to paralyze me for life and send me into a coma, he turned to us and asked, "Your reaction?"

Inuyasha and I, for a moment, were too stunned to say anything.

It was impossible. Something was very, very wrong here. Why weren't Menomaru and Gatenmaru pinning the blame on me, too? Why were they… why were they…

My blood froze.

It almost seemed like they were _protecting _me.

"I-I don't know," I stuttered. A nervous glare from Inuyasha reminded me to keep my cool, recollect my wits. Get yourself together, Kagome. It would suck if he got charged with assault and dragged off to jail or juvie or an insane asylum… not to mention it would leave me without a protector…

And that was when it hit me.

OH MY FREAKING GOD. OH MY FREAKING _GOD!_

These guys were low. Freaking _low._

"It's not true," I said immediately. "None of it. They're lying. Inuyasha was fighting to protect me, like we said in our statements. They've been antagonizing us for a long time and—"

"That wasn't exactly what I meant," Nakamura said, eyes stern. "I'm asking you, Kagome Higurashi: who threw the first punch?"

I stared at him, unwilling to comprehend what he was saying. "Well… it doesn't matter! He was protecting me! He—"

"Who started the fight, Higurashi?"

My throat was dry… I couldn't speak, I couldn't breathe… I couldn't say the words, for as true as they were, they were a condemnation and a betrayal… and they were utterly, _utterly _wrong without the context behind them…

"Higurashi?"

I couldn't say it. I couldn't tell them the truth, I couldn't turn Inuyasha in.

And I'd almost decided to lie to their faces… but then I felt Inuyasha's eyes on mine, saw him nod infinitesimally, and that was all it took for me to realize that lying would only bring us down.

Grimacing, I muttered, "Inuyasha. Inuyasha did."

And that went down into Yamamoto's notes, just like I thought it would.

"Okay," Nakamura said. Turning to Inuyasha, he said, "Do you deny that you threw a punch at Gatenmaru Gorou without any physical provocation?"

His voice was low and my hands were clasped tightly as he admitted, "No."

"Do you deny that you lost control of your demon and almost allowed it to kill Gorou and Kenji?"

His eyes narrowed to slits and my eyes widened to full moons as he growled, "No."

Oh no. Oh, _no no no no NO._

But Gatenmaru and Menomaru's faces screamed _YES._

"Okay," Nakamura murmured. "Then let's review the statements. Principal Tsukino, are you noting this?"

Tsukino nodded, and my eyes were drawn to him again… to the way that rather than listening to Nakamura, rather than surveying all of us, he seemed in particular to be watching Menomaru and Gatenmaru. As if… _monitoring _them. _Analyzing _them.

Calculating.

"We are going to review the charges now. First, those made against Kenji and Gorou: 1. Abuse of demonic abilities. 2. Attempted kidnapping. 3. Threats of rape and murder. No comment, please."

_No comment, please. _It sounded so formal, so official, that I might have laughed… if I wasn't certain of what was about to come next.

And sure enough, it came, and it turned my blood to ice and simultaneously boiled it.

"Second, those made against Takahashi: 1. Assault. 2. Threat of murder. 3. Dangerous mental instability." Nakamura put the papers down, looked us in the eye, and said, "Do you realize that all of you—with the exception of Kagome Higurashi—are liable to either a prison penalty, juvenile detention, numerous fines, or a forced attendance at an institution for victims of personality disorders?"

We nodded woodenly.

"And that someone must confess, or both parties must drop the charges? Court is a messy business, and I'm sure we'd all rather avoid it. I am here to act as your arbitrator. I'd rather we settle this here, now."

We nodded again—it seemed like the only thing we could do. I knew that they weren't going to confess, and I knew that nobody was going to be dropping any charges. Now that Menomaru and Gatenmaru had a way to get Inuyasha away from me, I knew that they would do all they could.

Especially because they had more proof than we did.

"And that one party here is in the wrong, which means they are _also _liable to a penalty for deliberately lying to an official of the law?" Nakamura asked.

Again, a nod.

And silence.

And panic.

And swear words from Inuyasha.

And glares from Menomaru and Gatenmaru.

And creepy stares from Tsukino.

And an all-too-Kagome-like fantasy of disaster and demise which began to spin wildly out of control and would have made me stand up and begin screaming the theme songs to a bunch of my favorite anime—don't question it. It's what I do when I get anxious. To each her own, alright?—if there hadn't been a polite knock on the door and an even politer, "May I enter? I think I might have some information for you," which froze me in mid leap.

Seven pairs of disbelieving eyes turned to the door… which, sure enough was opening.

It was Suikotsu.

"I'm sorry, but this is a closed session; we aren't allowing any others in at this time," Nakamura said impatiently.

Suikotsu gave him a wry smile. "What if I told you I had evidence which could close the case?"

Well… that shut Nakamura up.

Suikotsu sat down beside us, pulled his briefcase onto the table, and began to unfasten the latches on the lid. Immediately my senses were on edge, my imagination spinning circles around my logic. What could this evidence be? Could he really close the case, prove Inuyasha and me innocent? What magical weapon could be hidden in that briefcase?

As it turned out… it wasn't a magical weapon.

Nor a Fairly Oddparent.

Nor Spongebob's Magic Conch Shell.

Actually, it was the very last thing I would have _ever _guessed.

"…Suikotsu? Why do you have our baby in your briefcase?" I asked bluntly, bewildered.

Suikotsu sat Shinju on the table, her eyes opening, and she giggled as he tampered with something on her back. "You remember when I told you guys I would be putting a tape recorder in here?" he asked nonchalantly. "To see how much she cried?"

We nodded uneasily, unsure where he was going with this.

"Well…" he smirked. "I did."

And with those words, he pulled out a tape recorder and inserted it into what looked like a portable radio. And then I heard arguably the most disturbing thing I'd ever heard in my life:

_"I guess I know why you're so popular. Tell me, how many points do you get for sleeping with half the school?"_

…That was me.

Except I hadn't said anything.

I almost put my hand up to my lips to make sure they hadn't moved, almost started freaking out and having a paranoia attack and thinking I was hearing voices… but then somebody else spoke.

Somebody equally familiar.

_"Depends. We including ninth graders?"_

…Oh my god.

"YOU'RE _JOKING!_" I shouted, eyes bugging out of their sockets, threatening to take for the skies and roll away to freedom—very stylishly, on the floor. I gawked at Suikotsu, eyes twitching, open mouth turning to a threatening smile as I said, "You didn't…"

He grinned. "Yep, I did."

Sicko.

_CREEPER._

I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS GUY!

Inuyasha, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow at the tape recorder. "Shit. I can't believe I said that," he said, grinning.

"I can," I growled. "You're a jerk."

_"Does that bother you?_"

"What? No! I'm used to it, I mean—oh. He… hehehe…" I giggled nervously. "Sorry."

Inuyasha guffawed.

_"I think it does."_

_ "It so doesn't. Other than the fact that my new friend is best friends with a slut, why would I care?"_

"Ouch, Kagome," Inuyasha muttered, grinning, shaking with laughter.

"Why you… you deserved it!" I retorted, reddening.

He smirked. "Sure I did."

_"First, isn't "slut" a girl thing? And second, cause you like me."_

"So you DID like me," he gasped, gawking at me. "Honest as fuck, I only said that to get under your skin. I didn't think you liked me."

My eyes narrowed. "Stop swearing every other sentence, and I _didn't _like you. I _loathed _you, remember?"

_"You know, you are really cute."_

Now it was his turn to redden and my turn to smirk as I said, "Hmm… who likes whom now, hmm?"

_"For a bitch."_

"Hahaha! Payback, Kagome."

I opened my mouth to retort, but the Past-Me did it for me.

_"Shut it. Even if I did like you, which I don't, you could never like me back, nor could you ever truly like _anyone _cause your emotions don't run that deep."_

Inuyasha and I gawked at the tape recorder.

"Wow… you were one cold wench…" he teased, grinning at me.

"Are you kidding?" I asked, grinning widely. "I was _awesome!_"

…Not like I'm not _still _awesome.

"Excuse me for interrupting," Menomaru grumbled, "But if you guys are done _flirting_, could we just get to the point?" he glared at Suikotsu. "What are you hear for?"

Suikotsu had his hand to his mouth, eyes laughing. "Sorry, sorry… that was just as entertaining as when I first heard it."

He pressed pause on the tape, unaware that we were staring at him. "Y-you… you've heard it _before?_" I shrieked.

He smiled innocently. "Yeah. I've listened to the whole tape."

…The whole tape… the _whole tape… WHAT WAS ON THAT TAPE?_

"Man… if you're serious… you're gonna wake up with an eye missing…" Inuyasha growled.

"Not the time, Inuyasha," I said pointedly, glancing at the police, flushing. "_Anyway. _Where's the evidence you were talking about?" I asked Suikotsu. "Preferably you could show it to us _before _I decide to help Inuyasha kill you?"

"You see?" Gatenmaru muttered. "They're psychopaths."

Suikotsu pressed _fast forward _on the tape for awhile, and then stopped… and a new scene began to play.

A scene which made my heart almost stop.

_ "Wench, stop shaking, it's annoying."_

I almost turned around and told him that I _wasn't _shaking, and that there was no reason to _shake _other than the fact that we are on trial with the police and our Family Life teacher has been spying on us for three weeks. Yeah. No big deal. But then I realized that he hadn't spoken.

It was a different him, talking to a different me… about something which _did _merit shaking. And a heck of a lot of shaking at that.

_"Stop it. They like to see you afraid… it's like the icing on the cake for them, wench."_

"Oh, sorry," Suikotsu said, pressing the fast forward again. "Not far enough yet. But hmm… interesting, isn't it?" his tone was light, polite, as if he were speaking to Nakamura, but his eyes were cool upon Gatenmaru's and Menomaru's faces as he said, "I wonder who Inuyasha is talking about?"

Gatenmaru's fists coiled on the table. "This is a fucking lie," he growled. "We never did anything—we—"

"Quiet, Gorou," Nakamura snapped.

And before Gatenmaru could object, before he could raise his fists to Nakamura's throat, a voice said sixteen words which I really could have lived without hearing again.

_"Like if I fucked your little girlfriend—"_

_ "LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS, YOU ROTTEN FUCKING BASTARD!"_

Despite the screaming, it was silent in the office.

"…Huh," Suikotsu said dramatically, stopping the tape, smiling at us. "I'd have to say that that was Menomaru talking about Kagome up there… and I think Inuyasha was justified in his outburst."

"Like hell I was," Inuyasha growled. "What else was I supposed to do?"

I turned big eyes to him, lips quirking as I cooed, "You _did _care!"

Inuyasha, grabbing his face in his hands, gave a mighty groan.

_"Well. Looks like the half-breed has a soft spot."_

"Menomaru and Gatenmaru appear to lack racial tolerance as well," Suikotsu murmured absently.

Then it was my moment of glory: voice trembling with a mixture of fear, fury, and inexorable strength. As I heard myself speak, remembering the feelings coursing through me at the time, I smiled and linked my fingers with Inuyasha's.

"_First, don't call him that. Second, I don't like the way you're talking about him or me. I don't like threats, guys. And if you're going to threaten me… you can be sure that it'll be met in equal force."_

Kagome for the win.

…Again.

"_Oooh. We wouldn't have it any other way, bitch."_

"_It's too bad, though, that you and your half breed boyfriend won't be able to put up much of a fight."_

"And scene," Suikotsu said happily. I swear, this guy looked like he was a little kid in candy store. "Now… let's jump ahead a little bit… to the Sunday in question."

This conversation I remembered all too well… except I hadn't noticed, at the time, what _perfect _proof it was of mine and Inuyasha's innocence.

NOW I noticed, and with every word spoken, my heart beat a little faster, my jaw dropped a little farther. My hopes rose until I could nearly feel them bursting, breaking, clamoring for freedom from behind iron bars.

Eventually… when I realized the inevitable… I let them fly.

And as I listened to the tape, as it vaguely occurred to me that we'd been saved, I smiled.

_ "Look what we have here. The half breed and his bitch."_

A grainy hiss followed these cruel words, pursued quickly by a simultaneous cry of: _"Don't call her a bitch!" _and _"Don't call him a half breed!"_

"Aww… you guys were cute together even then," Suikotsu said, smirking at us.

Inuyasha gawked at him in utter disbelief. _"Dude. _You're a _psycho_."

"Perhaps," he allowed. "But I'm a psycho who… I believe… has saved your butts."

And maybe our lives, too.

_ "Get the fuck away from her, or my fist is gonna rip out your throats."_

Menomaru, who had appeared to have given up on the whole _It never happened we're innocent children we would never DREAM of doing something so absolutely atrocious _act, muttered, "That threat sounds as stupid here as it did there."

Gatenmaru nodded in agreement, ignoring the eyes of Nakamura on the side of his face. But I knew he was panicking—and I knew that _he _knew that they'd screwed up.

And now they were going to get it.

_"Oooh, scary."_

_ "Calm down." _My voice now. And I could still feel it: my hand slipping over his, my heart pounding my blood through my veins, heartbeat catapulting light-years per hour… and not just because of fear.

_"Aww, isn't this cute. You guys would make a great couple… except that we need your bitch."_

Inuyasha's and my death glares collided with Menomaru's and Gatenmaru's at full throttle, infesting the air with tiny sparks of intensity.

Sparks easily noticed by the adults in the room.

"Are we to understand," Tsukino said silkily, glaring at Menomaru and Gatenmaru, "That you two have been threatening these children?"

"Oh, just wait!" Suikotsu interrupted gleefully. "It gets better."

And his evident entertainment might have made me want to rip his guts out through his esophagus, but no amount of irritation or horror could spoil my moment of triumph.

I grinned at Inuyasha, and he turned a gorgeous grin back at me… and we were almost lost in each other's eyes before we were interrupted by a few polite words.

_"Yeah, well, you also need a brain, but we can't all get what we want."_

I really love him for that.

…Not LITERALLY! NO GETTING IDEAS! DON'T TEASE ME!

…Then again, even if I _did_ love him, you _couldn't_ tease me. Cause you… well… don't exist…

Who am I talking to, anyway? Is anybody actually listening to this tale of my chaotic transition from Okinawa to Tokyo? Does anybody actually care? If I dropped dead right now, would you guys even bat an eyelid?

_WHO ARE YOU?_

"_Half breed. Look, we don't have much time to deal with you, so just step away from your girlfriend and it'll make everything easier."_

Those were the words that provoked the fight.

"_Over my dead fucking body."_

And those were the words that started it.

After the brief sounding of crunches and yells, Suikotsu shut the tape off.

"I think," he said, turning significant eyes to Nakamura and Yamamoto, "That that solves this case."

There was a beat of silence where we sat like the dead, hands under the table, eyes wide and unseeing and shocked. Filled with a haze of confusion, of uncomprehending fury or uncomprehending relief… unparalleled happiness…

Nakamura punctuated the silence by asking Suikotsu a reasonable question.

"Forgive me, but who _are _you?"

Suikotsu grinned, extended his hand across the table, and said, "Suikotsu-sensei. Family Life. It's a pleasure."

Nakamura smiled worriedly (either for Suikotsu's sanity or for his _own _sanity if insanity was contagious) and shook it. And then he turned to Menomaru and Gatenmaru and said the rare words which could pierce the haze of relief and replace it with a jolt of unending, unwavering, high-like-on-coffee-with-three-cups-of-sugar (and yes, that is HIGH) _glee._

"Come on. We're going downtown."

.x.x.

Ah, victory. It's a sweet thing.

So is candy. And Inuyasha when he lets his guard down. Now, the latter, unfortunately, wasn't happening right that moment, but sucking on a lollipop provided by Tsukino as a sort of "I'm-Sorry-You've-Been-Threatened-At-Point-of-Death-For-Three-Weeks-And-Nobody-Ever-Noticed" gift, holding Inuyasha's hand, and watching with an open mouth as Menomaru and Gatenmaru were handcuffed and dragged into the back of a police vehicle definitely qualified as _sweet._

Would it have been sweeter if Inuyasha wasn't shouting _"FUCK YEAH!" _at the top of his lungs?

Of course.

Was I bothered?

Nah, not so much.

Over the course of a few minutes, almost the entire school assembled to watch Menomaru and Gatenmaru leave… hopefully for good. I nodded vaguely as Nakamura spoke to us, pretending I was listening as he said they wouldn't be able to bother us again, pretending I heard him when he said we'd be fine. Pretending I felt myself smile when I thanked him.

Pretending a lot of things, when really, the only thing I could see was the tiny police car drawing smaller and smaller into the distance.

Ah, victory. It's a… _strange _thing.

"Oi, Kagome. You okay?" Inuyasha muttered, taking a break from his arbitrary swearing to tend to his silent girlfriend.

Okay… I was more than okay. Or at least I _should _have been more than okay. I should've been buzzed, high… and I had been. At first. But contrary to my expectations, the high hadn't lasted. Soon it had fallen into a kind of dull happiness, and dull happiness faded into emptiness… and emptiness into something I could only define as doubt.

_Perturbing _doubt.

Actually, the whole situation perturbed me. It's not like I was afraid Menomaru and Gatenmaru would break out of jail and come get us for revenge (though I did have some concerns about what their _gang _would do). It's not even that I could think of something else, something left unfinished, an end left uncut… it was more that I felt like all the ends _had _been cut.

And THAT was what freaked me out.

It felt too much like an end: too final. Almost like… heaven forbid, _NORMALITY?_ Menomaru and Gatenmaru, _leaving? _For _good? _I couldn't fathom it; I'd grown so used to life with them breathing down my neck, looming in the distance, darkening my horizons no matter which way I turned, that now that my horizons were clear, I found myself searching for clouds.

Unthinkingly I tipped my chin to the heavens, only to find a flawless blue sky.

"Yeah," I said softly, nodding vaguely at Inuyasha. "I'm okay."

He didn't say much more, but I felt doubtful golden eyes on me for a long time.

"Okay, everyone!" a teacher called over the whispering. "Move on! Get to your classes! NOW, or it's detention!"

Inuyasha and I exchanged a grimace, reluctant to part… especially after everything. Despite his calls of triumph, despite his carefree grin, I saw a slight tightness in his eyes which made me think that maybe that wasn't the case.

Maybe he felt what I felt.

"Hey… let's hang out after school today," he said suddenly, eyes focused on mine. "Just you and me, I mean."

I smiled at him—whatever his intentions might be, that was a proposition I would never turn down. "Sure. Meet me by my locker?" I asked, my voice infused with the perfect inflections… an impeccable façade of ease.

A façade which he saw through… which he shattered with a grin and a, "Great."

My smile slipped neatly off of my lips.

Inuyasha opened his mouth, about to interrogate me, but seemed to have a better idea. Instead he ducked down and captured my lips in a slow kiss, one hand burying itself in my hair. I shivered under his touch, leaning into him. When his free hand came to rest on my waist, pulling me gently closer, the effect astounded me.

I longed for the kiss to become one of passion and not of comfort, but unfortunately, a crowded school lot was _not _the place for that.

Pulling away, I smiled. "We should go."

Grimacing in disappointment which made me giggle, he said, "Yeah, I guess. So… see you later?"

One eyebrow lifted, arching just enough to make me blush, and we said our goodbyes with tiny, identical smirks.

…And then he was gone.

.x.x.

"Hi, Kagome."

Much as his silent treatment had unnerved me, when he spoke, I was reminded of just how frightening his voice could be.

I stiffened in my seat, telling myself to be casual, relaxed. There was nothing to be afraid of. My enemies had just gotten dragged off to prison, the police and the principal had apologized to me and told me I was brave, and I was going to have alone time with Inuyasha for the first time since we'd gotten together. All in all… this was a good day.

Strange, how somebody like Hakudoshi could change that with just a hello.

"Hey, Hakudoshi." I plastered an uneasy smile on my face, thin lips matching the thin edge which lurked behind my casual tone. "What's up?"

And just like usual… like always… he pretended not to notice my all-too-obvious nervousness, even though I had the grim feeling that he knew exactly how I felt about him.

"That was quite a spectacle," he commented.

I knew what he was talking about and opened my mouth to respond, but for a moment, his actions distracted me: bending down, picking up a pencil he'd dropped on the floor… like a human. A normal human being, a person who was utterly _not _Hakudoshi.

I had the perturbing feeling that Hakudoshi had dropped the pencil on purpose.

But I dismissed it, nodding, smiling, saying sincerely, "Yeah. I'm glad they're out of the way, though."

And he smiled and said, "Me, too."

We didn't speak again.

And that was unfortunate. You see, without any words to replace them, those two words lingered in my mind like arsenic. _Poisonous. _Toxins in my bloodstream, sneaking tendrils of death up toward my brain…

I could feel them. Sitting there, silent and still, I could feel them within me: _Me, too._

And much as I tried, I couldn't explain why they sounded so sinister.

.x.x.

**A/N: HIYA! Back from the dead. What'd you think? So, did you see it coming that the police weren't finished with them? Did you see it coming that Menomaru and Gatenmaru would actually get put in jail? Now, in case you're asking WHY I got rid of them:**

**Plain and simple. I was bored of them. Time to move on to the next generation of evildoers ;). **

**Thank you to HelloGoodbye, k and ai, beautiful-surreal, BlueStar555, Tomatosoup inc., Sakura-Suzumura, MidnightFlame325, 00-Wild-Fire-00, Inu-Yasha lov3r1, Sakura-Suzumura, xXthenextbookwormXx, kittykritik, LunaP, Emiko Yoshida, xbeautyxxisxxlifex, SilverStella, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, ninjagurl512, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, k and ai 333, and Sakura Suzumura's daughter for reviewing! (I loved all your reviews, but that last one made my week XD). **

**I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up or what it will be about, but I DO know it'll have Inu/Kag. It may or may not also include a brief excerpt from Kagome's lesson with Kaede. MAYBE Rin/Sess, but probably not. **

**NOW. When I post depends on two things: how much I write and how many reviews I get (which hasn't been a problem, cuz you guys are AWESOME! :D). How much I write, also, depends on two things: my mood and homework. The reviews, though… that's completely under your control. If I were you, I'd take advantage of that opportunity xP.**

**LOVE YOU GUYS! I'LL SEE YOU AS SOON AS I CAN! **


	65. Is About Psychos, Psychics, and Fluff

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's the next chapter. Just so you know, it takes place just after school has ended. :)**

.x.x.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE: IS ABOUT PSYCHOS, PSYCHICS, AND FLUFF

.

Considering that she's my best friend and last time I checked I don't _think _she hates me, Rin seemed surprisingly happy to hear that I would be ditching her for Inuyasha.

No. No, the word wasn't _happy… _more like ecstatic.

"It's absolutely fine," she assured me with a disturbingly bright smile, as if I had just told her we'd won the lottery. "Really, Kagome, it's no problem. Have fun!"

Yeah… while you're out plotting behind my back… or cultivating _more _secrets, just so you can torture me with them when I come home…

I squinted at her, debating between several questions: A. Have you been replaced by an alien or an evil twin? B. Are you really Rin? C. Has my insanity caught on to you? In the end I tossed them all aside, sufficing instead for, "Are you sure?"

If she caught on to the hidden meanings, she didn't acknowledge them.

"_Yes_, I'm sure," she said, groaning dramatically. Eyes sparkling, she poked my shoulder and said, "Now why don't you go hang out with your _boyfriend. _I'll… go hang out with Sango. You'll see! We'll have so much fun, you'll dump Inuyasha for us next time!"

"I'm not—"

She pushed me away from her. "Go," she said, smiling, sincere. "I'll see you after your lesson with Kaede."

In the end, I listened to her.

.x.x.

"Hey."

His voice was low, his touch electrifying, his smirk alluring as always as he fixed it on my face… _alluring. _Now _that _is a word I ever expected to use, much less apply to someone! Alluring, electrifying, husky… those kinds of words had always been in my _Use and Die _list, along with other stupid, trite vocabulary such as _smoldering _which I would have to disown myself for thinking.

And yet here I am. Thinking it.

And… amazingly enough… living it.

Inuyasha trailed one hand up and down my arm absentmindedly, fingers dawdling on my skin. I smiled at him, heat rising to my cheeks, watching his face as he looked down at me… watching it come closer and closer until his lips rested just above my own, tauntingly close and not coming any closer.

I fought to keep my voice steady as I whispered, "So… did you have a place in mind?"

He lips curved against mine. "Doesn't matter… as long as we're alone."

And it probably won't surprise anyone that I was absolutely, positively, completely okay with that.

.x.x.

Rin fidgeted in the passenger seat of Sesshomaru's car, biting back a smile and mangling the rips in her jeans. Thread by thread her jeans were coming undone, helpless at the cruel wrath of her merciless fingers. _If I don't distract myself soon, _Rin thought abstractedly, _I'll probably be half naked soon._

Realizing what she had just thought, Rin blushed and stifled laughter, deciding soon after that she really, _really _needed a distraction.

Unfortunately, the only one available was being silent like usual.

"So… I was thinking," she began hesitantly. "About us, I mean. Ah… I hope I don't sound too forward. I'm sorry, I'm stupid, I—" She swallowed, fists clenching. _I'm not stupid. I know I'm not stupid… so why do I always say things like that? _she wondered. _Why do I always apologize… when there's nothing to apologize for?_

Rin looked at Sesshomaru, almost as if looking at him for the first time… only to see that he was looking at her. And something in the connection between them, something in the way their eyes met and locked, something in the way their gaze drew them together like positive and negative charges… made her confident as she spoke.

"I'm not stupid," she said softly. "And I'm not sorry. Because…" quirking her head to the side, she asked curiously, "There's not anything to be sorry for, is there?"

Sesshomaru's lips curled into the tiniest smile, and he found himself shaking his head… both in answer and at her foolishness. _Of course there isn't anything to be sorry for… why should you have anything to be sorry for? _These were the words he knew she wanted him to say. These were the words a part of him, a part long buried and heavily guarded, _wanted _to say.

But they were words he could never say to her, so he hoped she could see them in his smile. And maybe she did see them, because the next thing she said was, "Thank you."

Her smile made the sun pale in comparison.

.x.x.

Inuyasha's confidence has always amazed me.

Or maybe… maybe it's not his confidence. Maybe it's not the way his hands bury themselves in my hair with not the slightest hesitation, maybe it's not the way his movements dictate mine. Maybe it's not even the way his lips are fearless as they dance with my own.

Maybe it's the way he makes it _seem _like he's confident.

Or… maybe it's the way the fact that he would do that for me makes me feel like the most beautiful girl on the planet. That his lips tell me I'm the most beautiful girl in the universe… though of course he wouldn't say something mushy like that.

Or maybe I'm just being conceited.

We kissed passionately, hotly, happily, under the shade of a tree in the park. Actually, in an artful twist of irony, I think this is the exact tree he held me against on Sunday when he turned demon… when he almost kissed me.

This time, though, as he pressed my back against the tree, I was _not _complaining.

Inuyasha grabbed my waist, pressing me against the tree with his hands and his body, forcing my head back against the bark with the force of his kiss. I kissed back with all my might, hands sliding up and down his back, losing myself in waves of total bliss… complete astonishment.

The entire experience—just like it had the first time—astonished me.

I've seen movies, I've read books. And I'll admit I've read quite a bit of fan-fiction in my time, too… but none of that could have prepared me for what kissing was _really _like. None of it could have prepared me for the juggernaut, tsunami of feelings and need which assaulted me with every movement of our lips. For the raw power of the kiss.

These feelings, this need, this sensation of craving and happiness and bliss… these things are why kissing is best with someone you care about. But no matter how many times books had told me the same thing, I hadn't truly understood it until I'd lived it.

And no book anywhere could have prepared me for what it was like to kiss Inuyasha.

For one thing… well… fine, he's gorgeous. I was aware of it before, and I was _definitely _aware of it _now. _But to kiss him, to crave not only him but his affection… and to know that you've got both… is a whole different story.

It's what makes it amazing.

His lips did something they'd never done before: slide down from my face, nipping along my jaw line until he was kissing the sensitive skin just below my chin. He buried one hand in my hair, tipping my head back, and I was more than happy to help him out with that.

This kiss doesn't sound dominating, does it? With the guys looming over the girls and the girls being submissive and all that crap? I hope not, because if it does, I'm definitely not explaining it right…

…then again, why _am_ I explaining it?

I should stop talking to you. Really, I should. But I'm beginning to think that talking to you is the only way I keep myself at the brink of sanity. So you know what? I'll just keep talking to you.

I think we're starting to become good friends.

Inuyasha wrapped his free arm around my waist, positioning his hand at the small of my back, pulling me closer to him. His lips explored my neck, eliciting the occasional moan from both of us. And I let him. It wasn't that I was powerless, wasn't that I couldn't fight—though somewhere in my little narcissistic mind, I do know that compared to him, I'm an infant in strength—but instead that I chose not to. I _allowed _myself to be dominated, not because I'm submissive or anything, but just because… it was something new. And it felt sort of good, for awhile, to just take a break and not fight... and just enjoy life and all it entails.

It was new and it felt good… but it wasn't my style.

I grabbed his hair in both my fists, forcing his head up to meet mine in a crushing kiss. Surprised but evidently not displeased, he moved his lips harder against mine, forcing me to fight back, and together, for several minutes of breathlessness, we battled for dominance.

The several minutes of breathlessness ended, leaving us panting in each others' arms.

Much to my irritation, it was me who slumped first, falling against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, resting our foreheads together, breathing deeply.

"It's not fair," I mumbled against his shirt. "Why are you so much stronger than me?"

I could hear him laughing as he said, "Cause I'm a half demon. And I'm a guy. And I hate to break it to you, but… you're a wench."

Wrinkling my nose, growling, I threatened, "Ponder your words carefully before you let them loose, Inuyasha… or one day that wonderful little tongue of yours is going to get cut off."

He smirked. "By your teeth?"

Even now… as my friend and boyfriend… he's still a moron.

I tried to pull away, but unfortunately, there wasn't much room between him and the tree. I sufficed for turning my head upwards to glare at his smirking face, trying to keep my lips from twitching as I said, "When did you become a pervert?"

"I don't know…" he mused. "Maybe it's all the sex talk with Miroku…"

"_Inuyasha!_"

"Kidding, kidding."

He snickered, grinning tauntingly down at me… but a grin of taunting slowly transformed into one of warmth, one which made me grin my own grin back at him… a grin which felt freer than ever before, which somehow made Inuyasha exhale, eyes glazing over. And for a moment we stood their, gazing into each other's eyes, content and content to be content… enjoying the moment while it lasted…

The moment was fleeting, and sadly, Inuyasha realized what he was doing.

Face going red, he looked away, setting his lips and muttering, "Keh."

I was still debating between laughing or telling him to sit for his insensitivity when he released me, leaning next to me against the tree. We stood side by side, shoulders touching, and slowly slid down the rough bark until we were seated in the dirt. Inuyasha picked at a piece of grass by his foot, and I watched with abstract fascination, almost unwittingly engrossed in the simple act of destruction.

Our breathing was the only noise in the silence.

I was too tired to tell if the quiet was peaceful or awkward, so I decided to wait until he spoke… or I had something to say. For the moment, Inuyasha seemed content to continue killing the grass, but I knew he would get tired of plant murder eventually.

A few seconds later, a wide grin spread across his face.

"I can't believe they're in jail," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I mean… fuck."

I smiled, relieved for the conversation. "Yeah, me too. It still feels surreal… not to have to look over my shoulder for them every day, I mean. It's like… it's like… it's too good to be true."

"It's not _perfect. _I still wish I could've gotten to beat them up," he growled. His lips quirked into a smirk as he said, "Keh, whatever. I can wait till they're out of prison."

I rolled my eyes, grinning wryly at him. "Just be happy that _you're _not in prison, okay?"

He nodded unwillingly. "Yeah… thanks to… Suikotsu…"

Both our eyes twitched.

"The guy's a psycho," I said flatly. "But… I love him for it, you know? He's one of the few teachers I've actually… well… he's awesome."

Inuyasha looked at me like I had just told him I wanted to go out with Menomaru. "Uh… _awesome? _Didn't he _tape record _us?"

"Well, okay. Sure. And that's more than a little creepy," I said. "But still…" Struck by sudden intrigue, I turned more fully to him and said in a lower, more serious voice, "It saved us. That tape _saved _us. And sometimes I think that… it wasn't just luck.

"Inuyasha, could it have been possible that he _knew _we would need his help?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to object, but after a few minutes of gaping, he closed it again… slowly, tentatively, as if too busy thinking to concentrate on his movements. His eyes went narrow, his brow creased. Finally, after a long minute, he looked at me and said solemnly, "You think so?"

I had to ask myself the same question before nodding.

He took this in, staring at me, before shaking his head and looking away, laughing one of those shocked laughs people do when they're surprised and confused and awed and don't know what to do with themselves. "I… well… shit. I mean, come on… how could he have known? The guy's a crazy genius, but I don't think he's psychic…"

"Inuyasha, there's something I haven't told you," I said in a rush. He quirked an eyebrow at me, and I fidgeted nervously, mutilating a blade of grass as I said, "Actually, I haven't told anyone."

His silence told me he was listening.

I took a deep breath before saying in a low voice, "You remember awhile ago, when Menomaru and Gatenmaru first tried to kidnap me? I mean, you weren't there, but I know Sango told you about it." He nodded and I continued, "She… she told you what they did, right? With the mind powers? And it worked on me, worked perfectly… and on everyone else." I closed my eyes, grimacing, taking a deep breath. _Steady, Kagome. Steady. _"Everyone except Suikotsu. He was immune to it."

Inuyasha was quiet.

After awhile I dared a glance at him, and he was staring into space, deep in thought. Finally he spoke. "I… I don't know. I don't know how the hell he could be immune to it… I mean, I don't know how their powers work, but he's just a normal human, right? Humans can't fight stuff like that."

"Actually," I said tentatively, "I'm not sure about that, either."

Now I had his attention.

"You remember when we were arguing with Menomaru and Gatenmaru outside Family class? And then you guys started punching each other, and Suikotsu came outside… and he knew immediately whose fault it was and all that? It was like he knew what was going on? And then he told Menomaru and Gatenmaru to leave us alone? Well… when he said that, when he got all serious… I saw something kind of weird."

"How weird?" Inuyasha said wryly. "There's a lot of weird stuff here."

I rolled my eyes a little at that before stating, "Demonic-aura-on-Suikotsu's-head weird."

He paused, thinking about it.

"Okay, that's weird."

I laughed aloud at his nonchalance, grinning up at him, and he turned back to give me a wide grin. The confidence radiating off of that grin warmed my body, instilling within me a confidence I hadn't known I had.

The conversation turned almost casual as he said thoughtfully, "Demonic aura, huh? Guess that wasn't what I was expecting… since he's a human…" Quirking his head to the side much like a dog does, he added, "Hey, you know what? He does smell kinda funny sometimes."

I smirked. "Maybe he doesn't take enough baths."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, as if _I _were the immature one and it was wearing on _him. _"Not that kind of funny. I mean… _weird. Different. _Not bad, just… it's not a human smell."

I sobered quickly.

He frowned, hanging his arms around his knees as he said, "The smell shows up sometimes. I've never smelled it before, I don't know what it is… but maybe it's connected to the demonic aura thing. Maybe… maybe he's not fully human."

"But why would he hide that?" I wondered. "I mean, he's all about racial equality and stuff. If he's part something… why would he pretend to be full human?"

Inuyasha didn't have to answer that; we both knew the answer.

While on the topic of morbid questions and dreadful answers, I decided to bring up another of my fears, a fear which had been nagging me ever since I'd watched Menomaru and Gatenmaru flip me off while being dragged away to the police station. "Do you ever get the feeling," I asked, "That it's not all over? That it was just too easy?"

"Course not," Inuyasha said carelessly. "It's never over. When you know it's not over, you can't have a _feeling_ it's not over."

I snorted. "Right. Of course."

The slight bitterness in my tone alerted him to the tension running through my body. He faced me, frowning as he asked, "What… do you get that feeling?"

Numbly, I nodded.

Inuyasha's eyes twitched. "Well, you gonna tell me why?"

"Shut up," I hissed. "I'm taking a dramatic pause."

Inuyasha seemed torn between laughing and gawking at my stupidity.

After the dramatic pause was over, I grimaced and said, "I know it's not over. Even though Menomaru and Gatenmaru are gone… I feel more vulnerable. It's weird. I should feel relieved, but instead I feel like now that they're out of the way, I'm an open target for even worse people."

_Like Hakudoshi. And the voice. And possibly Naraku, though I'm still not too sure about him… and… and maybe the principal?_

"What were they talking about?" I asked suddenly, staring at Inuyasha. "Before we got to the principal's office, Hakudoshi and his dad were talking about something. Did you hear anything?"

He rolled his eyes. "Nah, I was more busy thinking about how to rip Menomaru's and Gatenmaru's lungs out without the police noticing… you think it was important?"

I smiled wryly. "I don't know… they seemed pretty intense about it…"

His eyes tightened in concern, and I could almost feel the anger and tension radiating off of him. With a start, I realized that we was concerned… for me. Angry… for me. And even though I knew he wouldn't say anything about it, it still touched my heart.

"Look… just look after yourself, okay?" he said a little reluctantly. "And we'll look after you, too. But… I've been thinking, and I think you were right. Extra lessons would be a good idea."

The gruffness in his voice, the refusal of his eyes to meet mine as he said that… it annoyed me to no end, and yet at the same time, it made me grin like an idiot and want to squeal.

I have no idea how he manages to make himself so cute.

"Will you drive me there?" I asked hopefully. "Today, I mean. So I can talk to her about it."

He nodded slowly. "Sure." A smirk then, a very _worrying _smirk. "But only on one condition."

Hmm… in my experience, conditions were never a good thing when it came to Inuyasha. "What?" I asked warily.

Inuyasha's smirk broadened, and my heart stammered.

"…"

"Yes?"

"…"

_"YES?"_

Evidently pleased at my fear, he announced, "I get to come to your lesson."

"…Oh."

That wasn't quite as scary as I'd thought it would be.

.x.x.

**A/N: Sorry if this seems like it ended suddenly! I was tired. I tried to put another Rin/Sess scene at the end, but I was too tired to write it so I'm leaving it for the next chapter, which will probably feature some Rin/Sess and Kagome's lesson with Kaede, as well as (possibly) a very short Inuyasha POV. (cause you guys all seem to love him so much xD)**

**Thank you soooo much to HelloGoodbye, BGuate224, k and ai 333, MidnightFlame325, Sakura-Suzumura, xXthenextbookwormXx, Tomatosoup inc., xbeautyxxisxxlifex, k, beautiful-surreal, ninjagurl512, 00-Wild-Fire-00, LunaP, Inu-Yasha lov3r1, SilverStella, GoldenRose88, iheartinuyasha, Alechaos Ogigio, TooLazyToLogin, Stephanie Miss, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, yaya, Daichilover, Dontgotaclue88, InuYasha3, and Midnight Blackbird for reviewing! I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! :D**

**Oh just one question though: why do people keep telling me not to stop writing this story? O.O I mean, isn't it obvious that I'm not gonna quit till it's done…? Cause I kind of love this story…? xD You guys must have had a lot of traumatic experiences with story-deprivation in the past! Well don't worry, I won't do that to you. (Unless I die. But you can't exactly blame me for that. xP)**

**One last thing before I go: stories over forty chapters are at high risk of a disease called "TC." (AKA Tone Change. xD) Please tell me if the tone for this story ever changes in a bad way? I've read lots of stories where once it gets really long, the tone starts shifting and it makes the story different. So if that ever starts happening, let me know, and be specific so I know how to fix it, kay? :) **

**And now I must bid you all adieu, my friends! ^.^ REVIEW! :D **


	66. Blowing Stuff Up Can Be A Good Thing

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!**

**A/N: Well hello, my darlings. :D FYI I feel great right now. To all of you who replied to my rather frantic A/N about feeling like crap, thank you so much! I love you! I love you so much I'm going to burst! And it's been ages since I've written for this story. I was afraid I was losing my passion for it, but it seems like it's come back. So, read and review. :D Also, some of you might have trouble with the review box if you reviewed the old chapter 66, so if that happens, just pm me your review, kay? :)**

.x.x.

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX: SOMETIMES BLOWING STUFF UP IS A GOOD THING

Bows and arrows should just go die. And while I'm making the list… let's add Inuyasha in there, too. I think they'd all get along great in hell.

"SIT! NO LAUGHING!"

It's beyond me how, even while losing his virginity to the dirt, he somehow manages to keep laughing his butt off. I mean, _look _at him—writhing on the ground in apparent agony, or at least you _think_ it's agony until you realize that the choking and moaning aren't chokes and moans.

They're laughter.

_HE WAS FREAKING LAUGHING AT ME._

"That was such a fail," he gasped. "I've never seen anyone fail _that _bad before."

"Great, I'm a novelty," I muttered, glaring vindictive eye-daggers at him all the while. "Now get up off the ground before I take the opportunity and S-I-T you again."

Meanwhile, Kaede watched with evident amusement as Inuyasha glared at me, I glared at him, and I finally relented, holding out a hand of forgiveness and helping him up. He brushed himself off, all dignified and slightly irritated… and then he smirked.

"Fail," he coughed, smiling innocently and taking my hand when I glared.

"Just… oh… why you…" I exhaled heavily, aiming a halfhearted glare at him before turning to Kaede, shifting my feet, and saying guiltily, "Kaede-sama? I'm really sorry. You know… about your apartment… and your ceiling… and the trees…"

Are you wondering why Kaede's home is lying in rubble around us like a post-really-angry-hurricane wreck? Well, let's backtrack a little bit… to approximately five minutes ago.

The start of the lesson.

.x.x.

When Inuyasha and I walked into Kaede's apartment, I was certain that I'd be communing with trees for the next two hours, and he would be laughing his butt off. As it happened, the laughing his butt off was right… only apparently, we were done with meditation, because Kaede smiled at me and handed me a bow.

"Hello, Kagome," she said. "You're ready."

Ooh… wrong move, Kaede.

Seeing as I've been getting good with the bow and arrow during gym class, I wasn't too nervous. In fact, when I saw that I'd spend the next two hours impressing Inuyasha with my masterly archery skills (which have gotten good, by the way) I was even a little excited. I could practice, and he could agonize over what he could criticize, and eventually find nothing.

And then, of course, I would make him admit to me how awesome I am.

(Not like that matters. It's the thought that counts.)

So, Kaede told me that we were done, for now, with meditation. If I'd practiced enough, she said, I should be ready for the bow. And personally I didn't see what was different about this bow than about any other bow I'd used at gym… until I picked it up.

And _crud, _it was _heavy._

Now. No need to panic, no need to fear… Invincible Priestess Kagome and all her miserable rhymes are here… pick up the pace or you'll be too late, no need to wait because of the weight… of the bow… oh no…

I suck.

A vein bulged in my temple as I picked up the bow, which, as I said before, felt sort of like someone had taken an elephant and squished it in there. It looked light, lithe, smooth, and it _was _smooth, I guess… but that didn't make it any easier to hold. I staggered a little but forced a smile, trying to make it seem like I couldn't even feel the weight. It was a butterfly, a speck of dust on my fingers, and I flicked it away, letting it dissipate into the air.

Sadly, it came right back. I guess I'm not that good at these convincing-yourself things.

I could feel Kaede's and Inuyasha's eyes on me. "Kagome?" she asked, frowning in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I grunted. "I'm fine."

Focus, Kagome. That's all you need to do.

Taking me by surprise by appearing genuinely sympathetic (and yes, when Inuyasha does such things, it still, sadly, surprises me), Inuyasha scrutinized me and the bow. "I don't know… you don't look too good."

For a second, a short-lived, lovely second, I thought he was being protective. But before I could decide whether to coo or gag, he went and ruined it.

"Maybe I should show you how it's done, before you hurt yourself."

And as those words weren't bad enough, he did something even worse. On his face. You know what that thing on his face was?

The Inuyasha smirk.

So I decided, _Screw it. _But sadly, the archery target wasn't the thing which I would be screwing.

My arrow had other things in mind.

I jerked my chin up, eyes narrowing in concentration as my gaze fell upon the target. In this moment, there were only four things in the world: me, the target, the arrow, and the bow. Only four things mattered, only four things counted, only four things were _real. _And everything else faded away with the rapid speed I had, over three weeks, mastered.

Me. Bow. Arrow. Target.

The four components of the equation. The only four things that could exist.

Our sum was _power._

The power which rushed through my body, to my fingertips, into the arrow should have been familiar. It was a power I'd experienced many times before, whether during the few times I'd repelled a demon, or the many times I'd shot arrows in gym class. It should have been as familiar as the hands which knocked the arrow on the bow, the eyes which flew open as I let it loose.

Instead, it was as familiar as the bow itself. (AKA, completely unfamiliar and weird.)

…And dangerous.

By the time I realized that the power was far stronger than any I'd previously encountered, it was much too late. The power surged through me, empowered me, _possessed _me, and before I knew it, I was flying forward with it. With the arrow, with the wind, with the power… I'd become one with it all, and unfortunately, I had no idea how to control it.

The arrow surged forward. And for a split second, I felt like I was surging with it.

The second ended just soon enough for me to see the arrow hit the target.

…And the target explode.

…And the pretty little bonsai trees collapse.

…And the ceiling fall.

Oh, and let's not forget Inuyasha laughing his freaking ass off. That was equally frustrating.

.x.x.

So, for the purposes of not reliving horrible memories, let's skip the whole Inuyasha-laughing-and-me-sitting-him thing and go straight to the part where I'm apologizing profusely to a Kaede who I assumed would be irate. I could see it now: fired, shamed, hopeless, living on the streets, poor, starving, dying… how would I explain to my mother… to Sota… to Grandpa…?

Wait, what was that? Are you guys saying that I'm _not _going to be fired?

"Kagome?" Kaede asked softly.

That it's obvious that everything's going to be fine, and she's not mad, and she's just amazed that I have so much ability?

"Kagome?" She seemed amused now.

That's she filthy rich anyway and won't make me pay for anything?

"Kagome…"

That she's going to be happy?

"KAGOME!"

I jumped, gawked at her… and saw that she was smiling.

…_HOW THE F**K DO YOU KNOW THESE THINGS? WHO THE F**K ARE YOU? AND WHY THE F**K ARE YOU HERE?_

…I bet you're Rin's long lost family. You're both omniscient.

Meanwhile, Kaede was still smiling at me.

"K-kaede-sama?" I stuttered, backing up a little.

Seeing as I'd just demolished her apartment and part of the ceiling, I wasn't sure exactly how to interpret her smile. Was it a _happy _smile or a cryptic _you're going to die one night for this _smile or an _I'm going to tear your throat out and shove it up your butt _smile?

Inuyasha seemed equally disturbed. "Got any sedatives?" he muttered to me.

I shook my head mutely "no" and waited, breath bated, for whatever was about to come. For all my panic, it _did _seem like a happy smile… but unless it was a _Yay, now I can go buy a new, nicer apartment like a mansion without seeming like a frivolous rich old lady _smile, I didn't have much idea of what she could be happy about.

But she was still smiling. And only when she began to shake her head was I certain that it was, for reasons unknown, a _real, genuine smile._

"Kaede-sama?" I nearly whispered. "Are you… okay?"

And then, finally, she spoke.

"Yes." There was a slight breathlessness in her voice now, and her eyes were possessed by a youthful light. "How do you feel, Kagome?" she asked suddenly, wrinkled forehead creasing in that way it does when she's trying to analyze something.

"Uh…" deciding that after destroying her house, it was probably in my best interest not to sound like an idiot, I said, "A little light-headed. And dazed. And… sorry."

She shook her head, a sternness creeping into her face as she said, "Don't apologize. Now, _think_, Kagome… is that all you feel?"

Inuyasha and I exchanged a very confused glance. When he had no answers for me, I frowned, bit my lip… and thought about it.

How did I feel?

I felt a little like I'd been washed up on a shore somewhere far away, only to see a tsunami racing toward me in the distance. With every passing moment it drew closer and closer, until the ground was shaking and my head was spinning. And then, just as it towered over me, just as it reared to strike… I threw caution to the winds and plunged right into it, and rode it to the top.

It was as if the tsunami, instead of surging through me, had surged into me.

And in a dizzying kind of way, it was incredible.

I grinned a little at Kaede and replied, "High. In a good way… sort of. I still feel kind of nauseous. Actually, I'm gonna sit down now…"

I collapsed onto the couch—one of the few intact pieces of furniture in the room—and kicked my feet up, letting the blood rush back to my head. I closed my eyes, relaxed my muscles, and let myself drift away, exploring the layers of energy which the tsunami of power had left me with. Although I knew instinctively that the power itself had flown forward with the arrow, I felt as if it had not abandoned me completely. It was as if, in those moments I'd flown forward too… the power had imprinted itself within me.

And I could feel it, beating within me… a second heart.

"Am I missing something?" Inuyasha asked suddenly, staring from me to his grandmother. "Cause last time I checked, she destroyed your house… and now you're… _petting _her?"

Huh. So that was what that thing on my hair was.

"Sssh," Kaede said sternly to him. "I'll explain everything when Kagome feels better. And while we're at it, why don't _you _pet her instead of me? Aren't you her boyfriend?"

If my head wasn't completely bloodless, I would've blushed.

"Fucking backwards favoritism," Inuyasha grumbled. "I'm your grandkid, right? Aren't you supposed to side with me all the time?"

"Sorry, 'Yasha," I mumbled, turning over a little, smirking without opening my eyes. "Guess she likes me best."

"We'll see. Oi, old hag, who's your favorite?"

"I can't believe you'd call your _grandmother _a _hag!_"

"It's alright, Kagome," Kaede said wryly. "I'm sure it's a term of endearment. Anyway, now that ye seem to be feeling a little better, why don't ye sit up so we can talk?"

That sounded good to me. I was as curious as anyone why she didn't seem to be mad. So I sat up, rubbed my eyes, and blinked forcefully a few times, trying to restart the circulation to my head.

"Okay," I said. "So… explain?"

Kaede didn't waste any time.

"Kagome," she said gently, "I'm very disappointed… and very pleased."

"That's a fucked up explanation," Inuyasha growled.

"Don't say the F-word," I said almost reflexively, turning to Kaede before he could even react. Frowning, I tried to be politer than he had been as I asked, "I'm sorry, Kaede-sama, I'm sort of confused."

"Then I'll explain." Her lips quirked upwards. "Judging from how efficiently your power demolished the target and the better part of my apartment, I'd say ye have the most spiritual power I've ever seen. But also… judging from how your power demolished the target and the better part of my apartment, I'd say ye haven't been practicing meditation like I told ye to."

I reddened.

"Kagome," she explained, touching the bow lightly, "This is a very, very powerful bow made by an ancient ancestor named Midoriko. It has passed through generations of powerful priestesses, and in this passing, it has also acquired pieces of their essences. It has been mine, but I do plan to pass it down to you… but to master this bow, which will trigger power within ye like no other bow in the world, ye must practice your meditation _every day_. Else you'll never be able to use it."

"I'm sorry," I said, looking down, a little ashamed but also hopeful. So… I had the most power of anyone she'd ever seen? "I'm sorry, but I don't understand what the meditation has to do with anything."

Instead of answering, she scrutinized me and asked, "What were ye doing, when ye released the arrow?"

"Trying to block everything out," I said promptly. "Trying to only focus on what mattered—"

_"No._" The suddenness and sternness of her remonstrance made Inuyasha and me jump. Her voice relaxed as she sighed and smiled a little, saying wryly, "That's exactly what ye _shouldn't _do. The whole point of the meditation is so that you _notice _the things about you, incorporate them _into _you. Spiritual power is derived from the world about you, both the physical and the ethereal, and in order to control it, ye have to be aware of that. Do you understand, child?"

The way she spoke, the words she used, even the tones and tenors of her voice, drew me toward her. Before I knew it I was nodding, almost entranced… utterly fascinated. "I think so," I said seriously. "I think I can try."

"I think you _can_," she corrected, smirking. "As long as you do your meditation. And as a matter of fact, that's what you should be doing now. So why don't ye sit here and practice, while I try to make some phone calls and buy a new living for meself? Oh, and Inuyasha—you should go."

"Wha?" He glared at her. "Keh, I'm not going. You can't make me."

"Oh _yes_ I _can_, and if ye won't go, I _will_." She cracked her knuckles threateningly, looking oddly menacing for a grandmother. "Now, go. Ye're a distraction to her."

Neither of us could really deny that. So, faintly regretful, we shared a quick goodbye smile—which might have turned into a kiss, had Kaede not chosen that moment to shoo her grandson out with a broom.

"Ah," she mused, closing the door behind him. "Young love. I do miss it."

I reddened a little, and almost asked whom shehad loved, but before I could, she gave me a stern glare and said, "Get to your meditation, child. Next time ye destroy my home, I might make ye help me pay for it." But her eyes softened and she grinned at me as she said, "But then again, if you destroy it even more spectacularly than ye did this time… I might not."

And with the promise of tea in two hours, Kaede turned and walked away, whistling… leaving me on the couch alone. So I curled my legs up beneath me, closed my eyes, and relaxed.

And for the first time, two hours of meditation passed in the blink of an eye.

.x.x.

**A/N: And Fin.**

**Now, I had a question for you guys: one of my reviewers told me that they missed the humor in this story. I hadn't been aware that it was any less funny than it had been, so naturally, I want to hear all your opinions and suggestions! Don't hesitate to tell me the truth. And if you do think it isn't as funny as it used to be, then could you give me examples of what it had then that it doesn't have now? Whether details or chapters that were funny or whatever? I need your help to improve! But if you think it's still funny, that's fine too! I want the truth, guys! :D**

**Thank you so much to beautiful-surreal, k and ai 333, SilverStella, Tomatosoup inc., booklover2thextreme, Midnight Blackbird, Midnight Flame 325, BGuate224, Alechaos Ogigio, nijagurl512, LunaP, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, 00-Wild-Fire-00, Dontgotaclue88, xXthenextbookwormXx, xbeautyxxisxxlifex, Daichilover, Sakura-Suzumura, Sakura-Suzumura's daughter (:D :D :D :D), bear lover, Inu-Yasha lov3r1, Saikoubi-Megami, KagomeForever56, rockerchick16, HelloGoodbye, Litle C, Sylmarien, and Red Thorn for reviewing! I FREAKING LOVE YOU GUYS! And your responses to my A/N about being depressed really showed me that you not only care about me for my story, but for me, too. I mean, I already knew that, but still… I can't express how could that made me feel. **

**Now, REVIEW! And also, some of you might have trouble with the review box if you reviewed the old chapter 66, so if that happens, just pm me your review, kay? :)**

**Oh, ONE LAST THING: Red Thorn said they missed Ayame in the story. I've never been a big fan of Ayame/Kouga, mainly because I feel like their relationship never convinces me. It always seems like Kouga just goes out with her because he feels guilty or whatever. (Plus, she deserves better). So I figured I would focus mainly on Inu/Kag, Rin/Sess, and some Mir/San. But if you guys want more Ayame in the story, can you tell me, so I can gather how many people want her in there, whether with Kouga or without? With minor couples, I need to go on a majority basis, so I don't waste time. But I WILL try to bring her back into the story, if you want, maybe mentioning her more when they're at school. I can't promise much, though, if not many people seem interested. But I want to make you guys happy! So tell me what you think! :)**

**NOW REVIEW. :D **

**And PS: the next chapter is Rin's and Sesshomaru's date. ;) **


	67. I Am Alive

Okay guys. I am going to be perfectly honest now. Please don't murder me.

With my schoolwork and my novel, keeping up with three fanfics has proven to be impossible. And you've probably noticed that, since I haven't updated… in… months… DX. Now. I've promised you repeatedly that I won't discontinue my stories, and I'm not breaking that promise. Instead, I'm going to put two on hold and finish ONE. And then move to those two. And I want you guys to help me decide what story I should finish first.

Updates will still be slower, though. But hopefully not months slower :). In my high school I have found many new things: somewhat difficult classes, a crush/possible boyfriend, and a social life. Top that stuff with the fact that my perfectionist, high-standard-striving brain has decided that I need to publish a book before I graduate high school or I will never get into Yale (in which case I will be sad), I'm pretty busy and kinda stressed out.

But I love you guys, and you're my friends too, so I won't leave you. And I want your opinions on which story I should continue. Occasionally I might update others, but the story which you and I choose will be the one I focus on.

So, anyway: review and tell me whether Lives Will Change, By Candlelight, or Remember Your Wings will be the one! And I'm sorry for flaking out on you. I just can't deal with ten stories at once like some of you incredible people can. But kudos to you for doing it! I could never do that.

Love, hugs, kisses, birdies,

NF222

(Oh and if I did anything weird in there like randomly spazzing out about puppies, custard, or shrimp, please excuse me. I have a fever of 103. ^.^)


End file.
